Tag Archives: lifestyle

Social Media – a Record of Visceral Reactions During Human Tragedy.

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Boston tweets and posts Sprout Social 2013-04-16

Just how valuable is Social Media in tragic times?

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings yesterday, April 15th, 2013 – Patriot’s Day, Social Media reminds us of how much we how important it is to maintain our human connection – especially in times of tragedy. As most online discussion focuses on the use of Social Media for business marketing, it’s important to recognize this quality of social media.

If I hadn’t had my Facebook account open on my laptop while working in other windows, I wouldn’t have noticed a friend’s notification about the 2 bomb explosions. She is a runner and a police officer, and was keen on the event and therefore a reliable source.

Yes, I went to my television to see the live coverage, but I had my laptop with me as I wanted to continue learning more from any social media updates while still working.

I knew that at least some of my social media friends, followers and connections might have loved ones or someone they knew participating or attending the marathon, or, actually living in Boston. So I also opened my Sprout Social management tool so that I could follow Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook all on one page.

It’s about getting closer to the reality

Reading the tweets, posts, and updates is not just informative, but it reveals the visceral reaction of anyone who has any connection to the incident and the reactions of anyone worldwide who is “listening” on these platforms.

The live TV gave the visuals and the reporters updates, but my social media accounts gave me the heart and soul of America and the world on the most human level possible. And that is what we need most in these fragile times…

Please leave your comments:

Did you track your social media accounts during this horrific incident?

What value was it to you vs. traditional reporting avenues?

Did social media offer comfort because of the direct connection to the event?

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40 Years since the 1st Cell Phone Call – a Retrospective

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Picturephone

Picturephones never made it…

Mashable posted this morning about today making 40 years since the first cell phone call. I had to stop and calculate how young I was at the time…

Ok – so I was in high school

…and we were happy enough having a phone extension in the bedroom (for you Gen x & Yers, an extension was the teen’s only way to get out of the hall to have a private conversation!) Back then, our parents were panicking that they couldn’t hear all of our conversations anymore. We teens were always worried someone would pick up the other line and listen. Nothing compared to today’s worries over teens and the internet!

So who cared?

I don’t recall knowing anything about this new cellular technology. But then, that is how it was with most inventions in that era. New inventions splashed on the evening news and then disappeared. You learned it was best to not to get too excited because many of these earth changing discoveries tended never to get to the masses due to the huge expense of production.

A great example was Jetson’s style visual communication that featured in the Ma Bell “Future” section of the State Fair (above image) year after year. It was a big flop. Of course, now, the internet has taken over that function with Skype and other internet options. Oddly, visual communication finally surfaced without the use of telephones.

Marketing Potential?

So in light of the simplistic perception we all had about the power of visual communication back then, the only advantage we saw to Picturephones was the ability to see who was on the other end of the line. And we weren’t always sure that we wanted to BE seen! The first concern was whether there was an OFF button!

Never was there any discussion as to the marketing possibilities that would come with portable visual capabilities. After all, this was the era of newspapers, magazines, billboards and only 3 TV networks.

Similar to the beginnings of Social Media, it was just about communication and that’s all. Now, the primary discussion is all in Market-speak.

As with all inventions, you never really know what ultimate usage will evolve, but one thing you can be sure of, someone in marketing will always be asking:

How can we use this to reach our consumer? ;)

56 Servings of Grits? Really? Someone at Quaker Oats Marketing is Not Paying Attention to Basics.

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Bear with me on this slightly sarcastic post – it actually does lead somewhere in regard to business!Quaker Grits Serving sizes - for what army?

Whether you realize it or not… customer service is part of marketing for your business, so here is my example of a vendor’s marketing department not paying attention to important basics.

This morning, my son wanted grits for breakfast. I always make breakfast – mostly because it’s my favorite meal of the day – and grits is easy, so I said yes. I don’t do INSTANT grits – because if you have ever eaten regular grits, instant grits tastes like cooked paper. But I don’t have time for old fashioned which takes 20 minutes grits, so I use quick grits which, in theory, takes 5 minutes.

My beef is with the Quaker Oats package recipe instructions.

Note in the image above the serving sizes for Stove Top style cooking – 1, 4, 28, 56!

Not exactly the logical progression I sought. Remember, the serving sizes posted are for side servings. My fam likes a BOWL of grits. And my ever growing 16 yo son, 6’1″, 195 lbs, likes a BIG bowl. So somewhere between 4 and 28 servings is what I was looking for. DUH!

Yes, I know there is limited packaging space, but let’s be realistic. If someone from Quaker Oats see this and responds, I am sure I will get the logic that many of their customers do need those serving sizes and on larger packages they must include… yada yada yada.

Yes, but from 4 to 28? Nothing in between?

SO why am I posting about Quaker Oats Grits Recipe serving sizes?

  • It’s about knowing your customer.
  • Knowing who you are marketing to.
  • Considering the use of your product.
  • Providing said use in a consumer friendly manner.

As I have mentioned in a previous post, I don’t do math - school was over a long time ago! And especially at 6:30 in the morning, my brain is waiting for the coffee and carbs to kick in, not ready to calculate how much I need to cook for 3 cereal bowls-full of grits. I don’t mind some leftovers, but seriously?

So, Quaker Oats, unless your consumer is the Church volunteer breakfast cook or the local Homeless Shelter, WHO EVEN OWNS A FOUR GALLON POT to make 56 servings of grits! And just how old is this recipe chart?

At least give us a QR code for a more reasonable list of serving size recipes.

This is about:

  • knowing your customer,
  • understanding your customer’s needs, and YES, the user-friendliness of a product is part of marketing!
  • and marketing to the right customer – make up your mind, Quaker Oats, is this product for singles, families, or the ARMY?

Oh, yes, I’ll be tweeting and posting this out! And it’s not just Quaker... How many times have you had to search all over a pasta box to find the instructions to just cook the noodles!@%(*&$! No, they have to fill the packaging with suggested recipes and somewhere in a tiny little hidden spot are size 8 font instructions for how long to just cook the noodles!

And I also think it’s weird that I’m buying “Quaker Oats Grits.” Huh?

That’s my sarcastic rant of the day… ;)

P.S. Yes, I can tell it’s pretty much a 4:1 ratio – but again, I don’t want to have to do the math! And the Southern way is to substitute 1 part water with milk – creamier…better tasting… mmm. But I digress :)

 

2012: Email Marketing is Dead; 2013 Email Marketing is King – HUH?

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All through 2012, the buzz was “E-Mail Marketing is Dead!”

Now in 2013, most articles are about why Email Marketing is Supreme for Small Business!

HUH?

Actually, the latter is really true. Email is perfect for small business.

But let’s discuss the why of the mixed messaging and why you as a small business owner need to pay attention.

1. Social Media platforms grew exponentially over the last few years.

Soooo, “they” assumed, that because the growth was so rapid, social media platforms would soon replace email and all other traditional forms of marketing and communications.

While that might be true in major metropolitan areas and college campuses, there is still a huge population out there that doesn’t own a SmartPhone or that  only accesses internet through a desktop.

But, email is universal.

Everyone sits down at home and work and checks their email…

Another assumption was that because Social Media platforms are “Free,” that it would be nonsense for anyone to ignore it as a marketing avenue. Again, you can pick up a hammer, but that ain’t gonna make ya a carpenter!

Sure you can create an account for free, but time is money, and it takes time to maintain a social media business page, not to mention at least basic marketing skills. Nothing wrong with that, – all marketing comes with a cost – but that has to be considered.

Then, when it comes to attracting fans, many of those fans are laggers in social media who only use it for sharing funny cat pictures and playing application games. So, getting fans to pursue your page is another form of investment – a good offer to like a page, the giveaway, someone to manage the comments and likes, someone to engage to grow fans… And don’t believe those hucksters claiming to bring you from 0 to 40,000 fans! Fake profiles = fake fans = no rise in insights or revenue.

Now, why was email getting badmouthed:

2. “Free” Email services were springing up all over the place.

Why pay for email service when you can get it for free? Again, because FREE is never really free! You pay a price eventually – think of the hidden cost to you when your email goes to a spam folder and never reaches your intended recipient?

So, if you were judging the effectiveness of free email vs free social media… neither one will bring results so that comparison is probably moot.

They are both an investment in Time and time costs money.

OK, so now what should you invest your time in? Social Media or Email Marketing?

If you are asking this question, it tells me you don’t know your customers or clients. Face it, most of you small business owners have poo-poo-ed SoMe and Email.

Why don’t you let your customers tell you where you should invest your time?

  • Have you noted whether your customer is tapping away on a mobile while they are waiting in line?
  • Have you asked them what platforms they use?
  • Have you invited them to join your email subscriber list?

Stop being an employee of your own business and market your business. How?

  • Find out which Social Media platforms are appropriate for your business and demographic – Start with one and do well, then move on to others.
  • Invest in an email service that fulfills your needs for marketing and has integrated social media tools for efficiency and broader distribution that will attract new subscribers. (want to play around with one for free for 60 days? Click here!
  • And pay Freaking attention to where your customers live online! ASK THEM. SURVEY THEM. TALK TO THEM.
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The Win-Win of Social Media Through Unexpected Uses. Pt.1: The Perks of Pinterest

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I started noticing that Social Media has become a source of everyday personal convenience as well as social! It has completely become a part of my everyday life because of unexpected (to me at least!) uses and applications.

Some unexpected uses I have discovered and maybe you have, too…

Pinterest as a source or reference tool:

Example #1

A blog feed I subscribe to had a post on a slow cooker chicken that rocks!

I love slow cooker recipes because I don’t have to be in the kitchen to cook them ;) and any meat cooked in them is usually incredibly tender! I’m too busy for elaborate recipes and I get tired of basic recipes. So when I stumble on a recipe that I must try, I don’t bother to print it out. I PIN IT! This is great for busy people like me. So, I have a board for food ideas.

Anytime I want to retrieve a recipe, Pinterest has a great visual for me (who remembers recipe names?) and I can just click on my Pinterest app on my iPad or SmartPhone when I am in the kitchen and there’s my recipe (I just have to keep my tech tools out of the way of drips!)

No paper, no ink and always ready to view!

Example #2

I love to buy, but I hate to shop - mostly because the time that it takes is a luxury I can’t afford. I’ve got more speaking gigs, so I need some new professional outfits.

But, like I said, I hate to shop and I also don’t have time to keep up with what’s current. Yes, I buy the humongous Vogue book size editions to try to keep up to date, but…

So when I need to buy an outfit, I cruise the Pinterest “Women’s Fashion” category to see what is current. There are some of the best pins ever that show every piece you might want to create that complete outfit. This is like Garanimals for me and a huge time saver. (see left image)

I am usually inspired to post a quick comment to the pinner and that blogger now also has more exposure since I liked, commented and re-pinned the picture that she posted with her blog that has now been pinned.

When someone clicks on it anywhere on Pinterest, they are now directed back to the original pinner’s source. A win-win for both of us.

Moral to the story? Always provide a picture with your blog content!

Residuals?

Whoever follows my boards may repin one of my pins – giving both me and the source more exposure. They may start to follow my board and maybe my other boards as well.

Anyone who clicked on the photo may start to follow the blogger.

When I get a notice that someone repinned or liked my pin, I will most likely take a look and possible follow them on or at least one of their boards on their Pinterest because since they liked what I pinned, they most likely have other items I would probably be interested in.

My pin will also show up on the main Pinterest board and catch the eye of a browser. Potential new followers from outside of my network for both me and the blogger.

And notice that if you click on the image at left, guess where you’ll wind up…?

Yup, at that Pinterest board. The beauty of it is that you don’t have to sign in or have an account to view it either….

And the holiday ideas? Ah, don’t get me started!

Don’t forget you can also share to other Social networks. And here is a tip: Click “embed” and copy the code, paste into a Facebook post and it will provide the link and a lead in to it. No picture though… still trying to find a way to make that work.

What have you discovered you can do with Pinterest?