Ask (Social Media) and You Shall Receive

Ask and you shall receive. No seriously, add social media into the mix and you -really- do receive when you ask. Social Media is an amazing outlet for me to project into the Universe things I’d like to attract into my life. By the simple fact that the Law of Attraction is a LAW; like energy always attracts like energy even in the social space! I’ve made 2 significant connections with people who are helping me grow my business. I work and collaborate with both of these people and it’s all made possible thanks to the power of Social Media. I give them both my highest recommendation for anyone who’s looking to hire in their area of expertise. I’d like to take this time to introduce them to you.

Chris Kirkman- Chris is a San Diego based creative consultant, providing Southern California with functional and visually appealing graphic design, web design, videography, and creative direction over the past ten years. With experience and expertise spanning broad over many creative disciplines, Chris has been able to provide services from concept to execution for a wide range of industries. Visit his website and follow him on Twitter @ChrisKirkman.

How I Met Chris: Chris and I first connected on Twitter in January 2010. I recall chatting back and forth on there a few times. January 2010 is also around the time where my entrepreneurial spirit and ambitions came to life as I declared my intention to run my own marketing company to specializes in Digital Marketing and Social Media. Having my own marketing company, also meant that I’d need my own marketing materials. One of the first things I needed was creative design work to brand my company. I posted on Twitter that I was looking for someone to help with my Social Media Design work and Chris came to the rescue! He replied to my post and generously offered to help with my Social Media Design needs. However, it wasn’t until April 2010 that I met him in person when he attended an AIGA event that I spoke at. To this day, Chris is a true business alliance and a great friend!

THANKS TO CHRIS I have a cool Twitter background, YouTube Background and a business card design that are all cohesively branded. I also have a spiffy logo for my Digital Media Dinners seminars. He’s also designed awesome Facebook pages for some of my clients. Chris goes above and beyond to ensure his work is produced strategically, executed efficiently and exactly aligned with the client’s needs. He is extremely knowledgeable so is able to add his own expertise insight throughout the design process to ensure a final product that’s top quality.

Next up is Anne Dorko!

Anne Dorko- Anne is helping you and your small business succeed online. She shares freely on her blog, newsletter and videos. If you need even more help than that, she offers paid one-on-one consultations. If you’re tired of being confused when learning website strategy, you’ll be refreshed by Anne’s simplified perspective (which often involves humor).  Visit her website and follow her on Twitter @AnneDorko.

How I Met Anne: I posted a tweet that I was seeking a someone to help me update some things on my website. Things that I knew were probably very easy for anyone with WordPress experience yet would take me hours to even figure out where to begin. I started accepting proposals from people who replied to my post. I was quoted various rates and hours. Anne, however, responded by sending me a professional email detailing steps she’d take to complete each request and even did a little trouble shooting for me! I confirmed with Anne immediately that she was the right woman for the job.

THANKS TO ANNE I now have a visible RSS feed, my defunct Tweetmeme plugin on my blog was removed and I have updated social sharing buttons on my blog. Anne is quick! She asked for info she needed and wow, before I knew it the changes were done!

 

I know I said I was introducing two people to you but I want to give a shout out to another person. This is the person responsible for getting me on Twitter. He goes by the name of @RichAndCreamy. When I thought of other situations where Ask (Social Media) and You Shall Receive applied. I immediately thought of Richie and his strange request the other day to find a shower through Twitter! His profile has NSFW for a reason! His request worked because I generously opened up home to him to shower before his meeting!

Ask (Social Media) and You Shall Receive! Don’t be afraid to tell the universe what you want. What better platform to do it than on Social Media? Try it yourself! And remember to follow all these amazing people on Twitter @ChrisKirkman, @AnneDorko, @richandcreamy! Perhaps they’ll help you out some day too!

Marketing Melodie Presents: Digital Media Now Seminars @DigitalMediaNow

Thanks to everyone who’s attended or supported one of my previous seminars. After receiving so much positive feedback and praise for my Digital Media Dinners series, I’ve created a new seminar series called Digital Media Now. You can get a glimpse of my seminars in the video below:

Digital Media Now is a seminar series hosted on the first Wednesday of each month to educate business owners and professionals with knowledge on the most up to date digital technology tools and social media marketing strategies. Attendees will leave empowered with actionable content they can implement immediately. A different topic is covered each month. Content from each topic does not overlap so it’s encouraged for attendees to attend all seminars to gain comprehensive knowledge on growing their business in all areas of Digital Media. It’s also not necessary to attend a previous event to make sense of future events.

Here are the event dates and topics for Digital Media Now:

• Wed. November 2nd, 2011, 6:30pm: Personal Branding on Social Media- Learn how to ensure your personal online brand is simultaneously optimized to enhance your company’s brand on various social networks to increase visibility for both yourself and your business to attract qualified customers and strategic partners.
• Wed. December 7th, 2011 6:30pm How to Create Compelling Content- Learn to create content that attracts your target customers, encourages interaction and strengthens your community.
• Wed. January 4th, 2012, 6:30pm: The Power of LinkedIn- Master LinkedIn and use it like a pro to attract qualified customers, increase your visibility in searches and build stronger relationships to grow your business.
• Wed. February 1st, 2012, 6:30pm: Social Media Integration- While it’s important to integrate social media into your marketing strategy, it’s also just as important to have a strong plan that incorporates other marketing medias (Events, PR, Cause Campaigns, etc). Learn how to effectively integrate your social media efforts to create a cohesive marketing strategy.
• Wed. March 7th, 2012, 6:30pm: Internet Power- Learn to navigate the infinite opportunities on the internet with email techniques, shortcuts and digital technology tools. Find information faster, organize and manage information flow, use social media to attract opportunities and truly master the web. Your efficiency will increase and productivity will skyrocket
• Wed. April 4th, 2012, 6:30pm: Relationship Marketing Online- Social Media and Digital Technology take relationship marketing to a whole new level. Leverage your social networks to create strong business alliances that work with you to attract new clients and strategic partnerships.

Embracing the Change on Facebook and Google Plus

Yesterday morning I posted an update after waking up to a flood of other updates bashing on Facebook’s new layout.

“How much do you pay for Facebook? It’s a FREE tool so rather than complain be grateful. EMBRACE the change, they know what they’re doing” 

The purpose of my post was to merely put in perspective how we often forget to express our gratitude for resources provided to us free of any monetary costs. When we do express our feelings, it’s usually when we’re dissatisfied.

I honestly wasn’t thinking about much more than pointing out a reason to be grateful for all the opportunities Facebook has created for us. Because I wasn’t thinking beyond my simple post, I’m so grateful and appreciative for  my community. Even though I teach people about marketing and social media, I learn so much every day from all of your social commentary and interactions. It’s because of my community; people who read my updates and most of all people who engage in conversation with me that I’m able to acquire so much knowledge and perspective on all the digital changes  constantly being made. I received many passionate and heated replies to this post in particular. Here goes….

   

What’s everyone’s relationship with Google+? I jumped into it immediately but slowly went back to my regular Facebook and Twitter routine. I started posting less and less frequently. It was however quite the day for Social Media because Google+ made their network open to the public on the same day Facebook launched all their changes. The big blue arrow on my Google home page definitely reminded me to post a quick update on there.

I received a few replies on Google+ and was happy to see that everyone who commented on my post was quite positive! From being online yesterday and talking to all of  you I definitely learned so much! If you’ve read all the social commentary/replies to my posts I trust you’ll also learn a lot from all the different viewpoints. Here are some highlights of great points and things I learned.

1. Even though Facebook is a completely free service, meaning they require no monetary investment; many people feel that their personal information and data is more valuable and do feel that Facebook is receiving a lot in return for providing this “free” service.
2.  While Google+ has been put on the back burner for a while, it seems that the Facebook changes are now driving more people to check out Google+ and embrace this new network.
3. Social Networks are all communication tools that we don’t “own”. But we do have the freedom to customize our use of each one in ways that benefit us most.
4. Facebook Privacy concerns. Any improvement on this? Nope!
5. Google+ Innovations- Screen Share, multiple video chat which integrates with your phone and SEARCH!

I appreciate each and everyone person who takes the time to reply to me and teach me something new. I take your comments and apply them to my own insights which allows me to have an even broader perspective when I teach others. And now I leave you with this inspiring quote:

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude” ~Maya Angelou 

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#NSFW My Naughtiest Posts because we all know Sex Sells!

This post is more about sharing observations and social commentary I’ve received. #NSFW short for “Not Safe For Work” is often found before content that literally isn’t safe for you to open up at work in case a coworker or boss walks by and sees what’s on your screen. My posts throughout all my networks are pretty G-rated, maybe PG at times, but occasionally I may let something NSFW slip. I don’t post anything vular or even close to X-rated but the types of responses I get every time I post something even slightly NSFW always amuses me so I thought I’d share with you. Here’s what you guys said in replies to things I’ve posted that arguably may or may not be #NSFW.

2 Girls 1 Cup. I have NOT looked this up online and according to all of you, I should keep it that way….  

 

Just a simple Foursquare check in at the Nuclear Power Plant! Anyone who has driven by them understands.

Judging by Facebook and Google+ replies combined you guys enjoyed my Comic Con photo that I posted merely as a joke since Comic Con is basically the only other time except for Halloween where women get an opportunity to wear the skimpiest clothes they can find, or not find in many cases!

It’s very clear that sex sells! One of my favorite examples of how Sex Sells is the banned Super Bowl commercial from Peta.

Anything with sex appeal intrigues us as consumers and grabs our attention. It’s also still to this day a taboo topic in America so the thrill of sex appeal in advertising adds another component that draws us in. If you have any favorite ads or campaigns that use sex appeal to draw in consumers please share them with me!

Klout Perks you won me over, now what else are you good for?

I admit I was very hesitant when I first heard about Klout. I thought “Why is the internet judging me and giving me a score that no one else cares about?” Nevertheless I registered myself and didn’t really pay attention to Klout for quite some time. Then all of a sudden I started hearing about people getting “perks” which came in the form of packages in the mail! Real snail mail! With electronic technology being so prevalent, getting something in the mail is such a nice treat.

I started to pay a little more attention to my Klout Score. My perspective was still that since I’ve never had anyone want to work with me because of my Klout score, in fact I’ve never even had a random person ask me what my score was; therefore I can’t justify my score having a strong influence over anything!

Recently, however I started to realize how Klout may be slowly but surely becoming a major player in the “Social Media Game”. They added more networks to their enigmatic algorithm (to this day I still can’t figure it out).  In fact just over a week ago my fellow San Diegan, web/tech friend, aka one of the most innovative, in-the-know ladies in tech, Jenn Van Grove aka @jbruin of Mashable wrote about how Klout Calculates Its 100 Millionth Score. Before I continue with my own insight on the benefits of Klout, I want to take a moment to say THANKS KLOUT for all the perks!

I’m not a big Subway fan, but I also can’t turn away a free sandwich with my $10 Subway card. In fact, it served me well for 2 sandwiches and prompted me to promote for Subway when I normally wouldn’t be talking about them!

I received a variety of Metromint water to try. I admit I still haven’t had a chance to enjoy them yet but they look so pretty in the package and it’s just fun to get stuff in the mail!

Is Klout trying to tell me that I stink? They’re sure not keeping it much of a Secret! Either way I’m stocked up on deodorant for the rest of the year, something I would buy anyway!

For the few times a year it sprinkles in San Diego, Klout and the Weather Channel have me covered! This is my favorite Klout Perk so far. As a San Diegan, buying an umbrella isn’t even on my list of things to ever buy so having an awesome umbrella like this is pretty cool!

Once again, thanks Klout for all the fun perks! I’m ever so grateful! I’ll now share a few of my own observations on how Klout is a useful tool.

1. Find Influencers- If you’re looking for new people to follow or want an glimpse of who has a strong voice on topics you’re interested in, simply click on the “Influencers” tab on the left side of your Klout profile. Click on different topics and a list of the top influencers for each topics will populate.

2. Share Influencers- Give back to your community and those who you’re learning from with +K’s! You’re allowed to give 5 +K’s each day. Along with the +K’s you can tweet out to your network “I gave (insert Twitter name) +K about Social Media on @klout….” this is still room here, I highly encourage you to include WHY you’re awarding this +K. Just like I want you to tell me Why should I follow you on #FollowFriday?, I want to know why I should care about the +K you just gave.  This makes your share much more valuable to your followers.

 

3. Marketing Opportunities for Brands- As evidenced by my Klout Perks, this is an extraordinary opportunity for brands to get their product in the hands of influencers. Not only will brands reach influencers, they’re also tapping into a population they know is extremely active on Social Media. Therefore, people who receive Klout Perks are more likely to share your brand with their network. This creates a great authentic and viral opportunity for your brand.

4. Measurement Opportunities for Marketers- Although measuring Social Media is still something Marketers are challenged with, Klout is one way we can demonstrate a set metric. For example, if I have a client interested in reaching out to people who have a strong voice in the Yoga community, I can search for top influencers on this topic with a Klout score higher than 50 and craft messages directed toward this group.

5. Klout Perks!- Of course I can’t leave this off since the perks inspired me to take a closer look at Klout in the first place. Make sure to periodically check the top right “Perks” tab on your profile to see what Klout Perks are available and which ones you qualify for!

Before I conclude by first blog post on Klout, I do want to say that I wish Klout had a vacation mode! My score drops significantly each weekend. I’m not as active on Social Media then since I’m out enjoying time with people I care about. It also drops when I’m on vacation since I’m not constantly updating! Anyone else want to see this feature? Aside from that, please share with me your own thoughts on Klout. Are there other benefits you’ve seen?

I’m Seeking a Marketing Intern, Apply Today!

My business is growing quickly and I have each and every one of you to thank! Anyone who’s reading this post,  is a part of my success. With the growth of my company, comes more tasks that need execution which is why I’ve decided to hire a Marketing Intern! Here’s the scoop on the Marketing Intern I’m seeking. This is also a great time to make sure you’ve read my post on 10 Ways to Land Your Next Job Through Social Media, especially if you’re applying for this position.

Marketing Internship with Marketing Melodie

Education and Qualifications: Seeking a San Diego student currently pursuing a degree in Marketing, Communication, Media Studies Public Relations, Advertising or a similar field.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Learn effective communication strategies in marketing
• Learn community building skills in social media
• Have basic skills in Microsoft office products to update documents, Power Point, Excel etc.
• Have basic skills in updating Social Networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
• Have a basic understanding of WordPress Blogs
• Responsible for some data entry related to the company’s marketing strategy (Inputting contacting info,  sending emails)
• Responsible for event marketing (Posting listings online, assisting with event registration)
• File records and engage in database research
• Help with public relations, copywriting, customer follow-up and other events
• Prepare weekly reports and give the latest status of their work

SKILLS & SPECIFICATIONS:

• Must be highly motivated and energetic
• A hard worker
• Must have good communication and interpersonal skills
• Must have good writing skills

DETAILS:

• This is a virtual internship with communication done through email, phone, Skype and several in person meetings in Mission Valley.
• Hours 10-15 per week but may vary
• Non-paid, preferably the intern is enrolled in a college Internship class and will receive school credit.
• To apply please email melodie@marketingmelodie.com with your resume. It is not mandatory but preferred that you also send a link to your Social Media profiles, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and blog.

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