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Using dedicated hashtags on Twitter
This is day 15 of 30-day blog challenge. Read day 14: “Inspirations to keep going” Using a dedicated hashtag Most Twitter users know by now what a hashtag is, but many seem to use the tool as a joke instead of as a way to search, connect and position. I like the idea of a positioning statement or a slogan that instantly places your product or services in your consumer’s mind. What I like about it is the possibility to make a genuine impact. A dedicated hashtag is an opportunity to position a brand, product or service in others’ minds, but you have to stay sincere. I try…
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Inspirations to keep going
This is day 14 of 30-day blog challenge. Read day 13 “Social media strategy” We all have those days where our heads ache, we’re overwhelmed and just plain tired. Being stuck inside and trying to focus with the entire family around is difficult. Humans are creatures of habit, and cabin fever affects me as much as not being able to stick to my routines. When moments, days and weeks where I have trouble focusing come around I often resort to a few classics to re-inspire myself. I’ll post them in no particular order so I can keep plowing through this 30-day blog challenge, despite having a headache and…
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The simple truth about social media strategy is no secret
Day 13 of 30-day blog challenge. Read day 12, “Bread, Milk and Eggs in a Snowstorm” Everyone with a business knows that Facebook and Twitter are essential “tools” for online marketing, but the secret to social media really isn’t a secret. No one–no matter how much anyone promises to deliver results for large sums of money–can develop an overnight solution to capitalizing on social media. Time is money and social media isn’t really free. Paying for Facebook likes or Twitter followers can damage your efforts by diluting your audience, effectively lessening your engagement. Facebook advertising: don’t pay for likes. Ever Here’s a great video on how…
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Why bread, milk, eggs and snowstorms go together
Day 12 of 30-day blog challenge. Read day 11: “LinkedIn Open Networkers: marketing mistake” I’ll consider today’s blog one about “parenting” as I try to organize this blog by category. We in the South–Georgia to be exact–are expecting snow for the second time this winter. Many schools, including Kennesaw State University, where I attend college, are already closed. I published my thoughts on the first “Snowpocolypse” of the season in an issue of The Sentinel that hit stands with the previous week’s issue because we were all stuck inside. So, I’m over it. I’m over the weather warnings and winter advisories. I’ve calmly accepted that my guitar…
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LinkedIn Open Networkers: marketing mistake
Day 11 of 30-day blog challenge. Read day 10 “Controlling creativity: 5 tips to managing inspiration” I’ve made a more concerted effort lately to use my LinkedIn account for networking, and as a place to engage with others in my industry (I join groups about marketing, social media and journalism. I’m a top contributor in a group called Brand Journalism). And while I’ve had the account for a few years, I haven’t added just anyone. Over the years I’ve accumulated more than 500 connections, but I’ve been cautious to only add people in my local area as well as people who work in the same fields…
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Controlling creativity: 5 tips for managing inspiration
Day 10 of 30-day blog challenge. Read day 9 “Social Media Limit” We makers know that when inspiration strikes we might be dead asleep or butt-naked in the shower. Actually, I think the connecting theme for those two situations is the idea of relaxation. The mind reels when the body relaxes. But, in an industry where freelancers and independent makers (from writers to photographers and anyone who creates something) struggle to constantly create and improve, how can we slow down enough to manage creativity? I’m sure I’m not alone in having lists of great ideas for novels, plays and songs. I have half-written grocery lists and incomplete…
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Social media limit secret: you only have 150 connections
Day 9 of 30-day blog challenge: read day 8 – “Why Google Plus is No Joke” We all know the importance of human connection and a sense of community, but many of us may not know that Robin Dunbar claims 150 is the magic number when it comes to just how many people we can maintain a meaningful connection to. Or, at least Dunbar means our biological programming has us naturally grouping in communities of about 150. I read an article by Chris Street, “I Culled Half My Facebook Friends…,” where Street made the point about quality over quantity even in the face of our psychological…
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Stop laughing: Google Plus now has 1 billion users
Day 8 of 30-day blog challenge. Read day 7 post: “10 ways to improve social media marketing overnight” First off, if the infographic above bothers you because Pinterest and Instagram aren’t in order along the bottom, know that I didn’t create this graphic. Now, if the infographic bothers you because you thought you didn’t need to worry about putting your business on Google Plus, I understand. Since the evolution of Web 2.0 into a true two-way street, businesses and people have been trying to figure out how to act online and how best to engage. Marketers know that one-way, static web pages that block user comments only send feedback…
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10 ways to improve your social media marketing overnight
This is day 7 of my 30-day blog challenge. Read day 6: “Abandoned Addiction” Your business needs more than a Facebook Page to be active in social media marketing, and it certainly needs someone more experienced with setting up marketing strategy than your Millennial neighbor. Just as you need a plan for your business, you need a strategy for reaching your potential clients and consumers. Marketing for the sake of marketing accomplishes little, so if you don’t know where to begin with setting up social media, here are a few tips that you can put into action immediately: 1. Have a plan and set S.M.A.R.T.…
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Abandoned Addiction: thoughts on finding Hoffman dead with a needle in his arm
Day 6 of my 30-day blog challenge. Read day 5 “The benefits of a blog calendar” George Willis Jr. grew up and became the mighty Lester Bangs before dying from a heroin overdose, with a needle still sticking out of his left arm. I didn’t want to write about Philip Seymour Hoffman. My heart has just been so heavy. I want to share my thought process in discovering this loss, and why I am writing about it. I have a hard time ( it’s pathetic really) distinguishing people’s faces. I often joke about it, but my husband worries if something is wrong my ability to perceive. …
mental health journalist
