Digital Media Now November 2011

To ensure the knowledge I teach to businesses and students on marketing, technology and social media is up to date, I take the initiative to keep myself educated. This is crucial with the ever changing landscape of marketing in a digital world so I’m excited to once again be a part of the Online Marketing Summit (OMS) coming up in just a few days Feb 6-9, 2012 at the Hilton San Diego Bay front! I have received dozens on inquiries on “Are you going to be speaking?”. While I’m normally a speaker at conferences I attend, I’ll be at OMS as an attendee, eager to learn from others.  It doesn’t getting any better than learning more about the topics I’m most passionate about on the gorgeous bay! 

Hilton San Diego Bayfront Photo by: Port of San Diego

*EVENT HIGHLIGHTS*

• Online Marketing Summit is the premier educational event for digital marketing, focused primarily on educating marketers across all digital marketing disciplines and emerging best practices including social media, mobile, search engine media, eCommerce and website optimization.
• OMS hosts a keynote line-up of thought leaders. I’m personally looking forward to hearing Mari Smith speak for the first time! Mari and I are social media buddies, but I haven’t had an opportunity to learn from her insights yet so I was excited to learn that she is giving a keynote!

@MariSmith and @MyMelodie

• A first time Expo, featuring over 50 companies, showcasing the leading online marketing tools and solutions
• 1:1 Labs: Unique to the event program are expert labs, which offer a one-on-one consultation with experts in social media tools, web analytics, search, usability, email and more.
• New conference tracks: With 40% more content this year, OMS is featuring six tracks.  Two new tracks include: Mobile Marketing and Content Marketing for Social Engagement

Many people have been asking me “What is 6 Degrees?” when they see my Foursquare check in at their office or hear me mention that I work in the same building as them. While I share office space with 6 Degrees, I also recently joined there group and feel that it’s a great networking opportunity that I would love to share with everyone.

6 Degrees San Diego Mission Statement: 
6 Degrees provides our members the opportunity to build business relationships “beyond the introduction” leading to trusted, lasting relationships. We accomplish this by partnering with, and supporting local businesses, charities and our community.

Founded by Matt Greene who is also the Principal at Greene Financial & Insurance Services and a fellow UCSB Gaucho; 6 Degrees is a professional business networking group bringing together the best San Diego has to offer – local executives and business owners of all industries. You’re provided with opportunities to engage in networking, business development, cause marketing and charitable giving at their monthly and quarterly events. You can also connect online within their membership forum allowing you to connect with businesses relevant to your industry and showcase your own business.

6 Degrees Founder Matt Greene

I’ve mentioned so many times that while staying connected online is important, it’s also just as important strengthen relationships by connecting in real life which is why I provide in person networking opportunities at my seminars, dinner events, and LunchUps. This Tuesday November 16th, I invite you all to join me at the 6 Degrees Member Reception in Downtown San Diego! 

This is a great opportunity to network, learn about the organization and another chance to connect with myself and other professionals in real life! Feel free to bring guests, co-workers, or other professionals you feel would find this valuable, the more the merrier. The event is FREE for all members and non-members. Register HERE to reserve your spot.

When: Tuesday November 15th 5:30p-7:30pm

Where: Higgs, Fletcher & Mack  Downtown San Diego 2401 West A Street, Suite 2600, San Diego CA 92101

Why: Get Connected and stay connected while you network, meet the 6 Degrees team and enjoy light Hors d’oeuvres and beverages.

How: Register HERE to reserve your spot.

If you’re interested in more information on joining 6 Degrees I highly recommend joining me tomorrow night! Otherwise  feel free to let me know if you’d like additional info! See you tomorrow evening!

HIT IT ALLISON!

Last week I had a great experience volunteering at Marketing Melodie’s Digital Media Now seminar- Personal Branding on Social Media. I gained valuable knowledge about branding myself on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. I learned how important it is to brand yourself consistently within all your Social Networks so your information is cohesive.  I also learned the fundamental purposes of Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter. Linkedin is used to post your business experience and to connect with colleagues and employers. Facebook is the most personal of the 3 networks where you generally know everyone on your friends list and post personal photos and posts. Twitter is useful for connecting with individuals who you share common interests with and for tweeting and reading up to date information. The event was also a great way to interact and connect with the other attendees.

@stef_funny and @AllisonSchummer Volunteering at Digital Media Now

I was looking forward to the networking portion of the event to connect with others and build my social network. I met Jeff Klubeck (@GetAKlu) at the event and we had a great conversation about higher education and the importance of having a college degree. Later to find out, we both majored in Communication at SDSU and began reminiscing about our favorite teachers and courses. This is just one example, of how powerful networking is: You never know how connected you really are to people until you start sharing. Everyone at the event was very interesting and actively participated which contributed to its success. I look forward to the next Digital Media Now seminar where I can gain further knowledge on Social Media and connect with more people!

Marketing Melodie presenting at Digital Media Now- Personal Branding on Social Media

Thanks for sharing Allison! If you’re reading this and you also want to learn the ins and outs of Social Media, I’m still seeking Marketing Interns, apply today! If you’re reading this and you know someone who can benefit from working with me, please spread the word. Stay tuned for more posts from Allison on things she’s learned and experienced from working in marketing. You can follow Allison  on Twitter  to learn more about her marketing adventures! 

I recruited my good friend @DowntownRob who also works Mission Valley to host our lunch! So this Thursday 12-1:30pm take a break from all your hard work and enjoy lunch with your fellow web/tech/social media friends.

This event is open to everyone! Purchase lunch on your own and enjoy eating it with great company while networking and making new friends at Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill- Mission Valley. Rubio’s is a good friend of Marketing Melodie. They’ve sponsored several Digital Media Events so I’m happy to show them some love by hosting our lunch there! Oh that and @DowntownRob is Foursquare Mayor of Rubio’s Mission Valley! That alone enough is reason for him to go back and defend his mayorship!

If you work in Mission Valley or can make it out to the area, please come by, enjoy @RubiosTweets (I recommend their original fish taco!) and connect with like-minded people for a fun lunch break!

When: Thursday November 10th 12p-1:30pm

Where: Rubio’s Mission Valley Mission Valley 2075-a Camino De La Reina San Diego, CA 92108

Why: Enjoy lunch with great company, like minded people, make new friends, network and enjoy some delicious fish tacos!

RSVP for Mission Valley LunchUp Here! And remember to tweet with the hashtag #MVLunchUp!

Almost 2 weeks ago I receive a nice email in my inbox from Norstrom Rack.

The first thing they did right was invite their target audience. They also did research on people who are influential in the San Diego Social Media space and invited that group too. They wanted to create buzz around the event and generate positive conversations. That’s exactly what they did. Oh and they made sure to have an easy to follow #hashtag #rackopening.

My Favorite Tweet #rackopening @melonie @KariLikeSafari

I step into the store and am immediately greeted with peach champagne and a $50 gift card I can use the same day! I am a huge Nordstrom lover. I buy almost everything at Nordstrom from makeup to jeans, to shoes and jackets but I rarely shop at the rack. Tonight may have changed my mind because the rack had so many designer and high end brands at a fraction of the price! I couldn’t help but grab things off virtually every rack because everything was so cute yet cost effective.

Photo by @sukhjit

After putting a few things in my cart, I take a photo and post a tweet with the lovely fashionista @eyemusing. Little did I know this tweet was going to score us both a complimentary must-have for our wardrobe! Since they were doing giveaways the entire night, the store manager was following the hashtag and chose winners from the people tweeting/posting photos of the event! They called our names to the front and let us know that we won a free item in our cart! I am seriously so grateful! I chose a brand new pair of designer, Hudson Jeans! SCORE!

The rest of the evening was spent shopping, catching up with friends, conversing with the nicest staff who were so happy to help at any time and still feeling so grateful to have won a complimentary must-have piece for my wardrobe. I decided that it was an evening to stock up on pants since winter is coming up and living in San Diego, pants are pretty minimal in my wardrobe. I got a pair of black slacks, gray yoga pants and of course my gorgeous pair of Hudson Jeans!

Nordstrom Rack Did it Right! Here are just a few things Nordstrom Rack did perfectly that you can model when hosting your next event:

1. Invite your target audience to the event

2. Invite Social Media influencers to create buzz

3. Create an easy to follow event hashtag #rackopening

4. Make sure you have enough staff to handle the event

5. Be generous with giveaways

6. Treat all customers/attendees with respect

More awesome Facts about Nordstrom Rack Plaza Bonita:

1. They have an in house tailor, one of the few rack stores that offer this service.

2. Go Green with an electronic receipt! They emailed me mine right to my email.

3. DESIGNER everything at more than half off! I didn’t know the Rack stores carried so much awesome merchandise.

THANK YOU again Nordstrom Rack Plaza Bonita for an amazing, fun and fashionable evening! I wish you the best of luck with your grand opening and much success after that! I’ll definitely be talking about this event for years to come because it was EPIC! 

@jennyjenjen, @eyemusing, @MyMelodie, @moonshinedesign, @sarahmarkels

The girls arrived and we spent the afternoon hanging out, speaking geek, talking tech and of course nerding out! I am so grateful for my online community and even more grateful when I’m able to connect on a more personal level in real life. Every single one of us all met through Social Media yet the first time we meet in real life, we are instant friends. Rather than greeting with a handshake, we embrace with a hug because we already feel so connected thanks to the social space.

I was so happy to learn that @MegCorbs, recent SDSU grad used to live in the complex right next door to me. Meg was able to show the ladies the San Diego way by welcoming everyone with California Burritos, which I just learned aren’t found in LA!

We soon made our way over to Oggis for some pre-meetup drinks and more nerdy talk! I learned about the Facebook page Nothing Rhymes with Orange. A viral phenomenon that was accidently started by one of the lovely ladies in our group @iamrachelwho. I am fascinated by the whole story of how this page blew up on the internet currently with over 300K fans!

After Oggis, we cabbed it to Tilted Kilt Mission Valley where we were meeting up with everyone else. @TiltedKiltPub generously welcomed us with great service and  hosted appetizers! Their nachos are absolutely delicious and so far my favorite nachos I’ve enjoyed in San Diego!

Of course being techy nerd girls, we checked in, tweeted and took a lot of photos of our fun night! Soon after we arrived more friends showed up including some of my great friends from the San Diego Tech scene @danlarsen, @iPodschun, @robotfaith, @thecrazymagnet (just to name a few).

Nerdy shirts are a must for a nerdy meetup. This one definitely wins for my favorite! @thecrazymagnet exaplained that he purposely wore his nerdiest shirt for the occasion!

After hours of good food, drinks, nerdy talk and of course a fun night, we made our way back to my place for a nerdy girl’s sleep over!

This entire weekend reinforced my belief on the importance of connecting with your online community in real life. A real life connection and an online connection both go hand in to create a strong bond, build community and mix in some real live fun! I want to once again thank the #NerdsUnite girls for making the drive down (it was an honor to host and hang out with phenomenal women in my industry), my San Diego community for attending the event and the Tilted Kilt Mission Valley for hosting us!

The evening started off with a networking dinner so of course, I had an opportunity to meet some great community leaders, UCSD students and affiliates. The photo below is a prime example of never eating alone!

I followed one of Keith’s golden rules for meeting the speaker at the event. Get to the speaker, before he goes on stage! I saw Keith Ferrazzi walk by and immediately went up and introduced myself to him. He’s extremely personable, enthusiastic and positive. I manifested this exact moment into my life because in 2009 when Who’s Got Your Back came out, I told Keith Ferrazzi that I would get his second book when I met him so he could autograph it and that’s exactly what happened!

 After enjoying a great dinner, Dr. Irwin Jacobs and Keith Ferrazzi took the stage. Keith Ferrazzi’s job was to be curious and ask Dr. Jacob’s questions related to the topic of “Why great relationships matter in business?” Keith did a great job at asking questions that prompted Dr. Jacobs to share his inspirational story. As both a Marketer and an Entrepreneur, I really resonated with both Dr. Jacobs and Keith Ferrazzi. I definitely learned a lot about having a vision and following it, being a great leader and of course networking! Below are some networking tips I’ve learned from Keith Ferrazzi, some of them definitely came into play during this particular event!

1. Reach out before the event- If you’re attending an event and want to meet someone specific, reach out to them before the event. I’ve already discussed how to work a conference before it begins. This tip is very similar. Social Media is a great resource that allows you to connect. Before attending the event, I tweeted Keith a bunch of times and of course wrote my post to welcome Keith to San Diego. Reaching out can also be done by a simple email. You can let someone know that you enjoyed an article they wrote, congratulate them on a recent accomplishment or connect with them on a more personal level if you know a hobby they enjoy. (In the tweets below I engaged several people in conversation about Keith Ferrazzi and I even received a reply from him acknowledging that he would see me tomorrow!)

2. Arrive Early- If you want to meet the Speakers, they’ll definitely be at the event at least 30 minutes before hand. Chances are the speaker won’t be bombarded by everyone else so you may have an opportunity to introduce yourself before anyone else. If you wait until after the event to try and connect with a speaker, chances are they’re going to be busy talking to everyone else and also thinking about going home so it’s harder to make a personal connection. I actually arrived at UCSD 30 minutes early so was one of the first one who was let into the room.

3. Talk To the Organizer- Arriving early also gives you a chance to find and introduce yourself to the organizer and let him/her know who you may be looking to connect with. Ask the organizer if there’s anyone they feel would be a great connection for your industry. The organizer knows everything that’s happening behind the scenes and everyone who’s going to be at the event. See if they can introduce you to some other attendees or even the speaker. When approaching the organizer, make sure to be mindful of their time since they’re probably still planning last minute updates and make sure to thank them for hosting you.

4. Ask Questions- After many presentations and panels there is often a chance for audience Q & A. This is your golden opportunity to get in front of the room and let others know what you do. Before asking your questions, clearly state your name with a brief intro. Since you have everyone’s attention, there very well may be others in the room who are seeking your service, product or who many want to collaborate with you. Asking questions not only gives you mic time, it also allows you to interact and stand out to the speakers and attendees.

5. Give Books as Gifts- Since the holidays are approaching so quickly, tis the season to start thinking of gifts for your prospects, clients and colleagues. Books are full of information and are personal because you’re recommending something that has helped you. Autographed books are even better! Keith reminded me of how great of gifts books can be as he was signing mine. He asked if there was anyone I’d like to give “Who’s Got Your Back” to so he could sign the book to that person. I didn’t have anyone in mind, so I just told him to sign his name in case I did want to give the book away as a gift. Well Keith came up with an even better idea by writing “Melodie’s Got Your Back”. This way I’m able to keep the book myself or also give it away as a gift.

Again, it was such an honor to meet my favorite author, hear Dr. Jacobs speak and connect with other Entrepreneurs. I’m grateful that attending the event inspired me to refresh my own networking skills, allowing me to share tips with you. If you have additional networking tips, please leave them in the comments below! I’m personally hosting a networking event and seminar coming up on Wed. November 2nd! If you’d like to attend my next seminar where you’ll definitely have a chance to apply these networking tips, you can register here. If it’s your first time attending one of my seminars, please email me: melodie at marketing melodie dot com and I’ll send you a code fore $10 off. Happy Networking and if you don’t already have Never Eat Alone and Who’s Got Your back, check them out at your local library or purchase them! You won’t be disappointed.

After connecting with @JenFriel I soon began tweeting with some other lovely ladies from the #NerdsUnite crew @ItsMeJoolie, @MegCorbs, @msmeghanbrown because nerdy girls need to stick together. I must say that I’m amazed and inspired by each and every one of these ladies in many different ways. Through the power of Twitter we’ve planned a fun evening for everyone this Saturday at the Tilted Kilt Mission Valley! Yep this whole thing was set up via Social Media! Hey I planned Foursquare Day in Hong Kong at my computer in San Diego through Twitter so planning a local event through Twitter is a piece of cake!

You’re all invited to join me as I host this amazing group of #nerdsunite ladies Saturday October 15th 8pm at Tilted Kilt Mission Valley! We’ll give them a warm welcome to America’s Finest City! Come enjoy hosted apps generously provided by the Tilted Kilt Mission Valley, drink specials and a fun time! (This is also the same night as my good friend @downtownrob’s Wine To Water Charity Event. Luckily his event starts at 6pm so ther’s plenty of time to support Rob then stop by the Tilted Kilt after!)

When: October 15, 2011 8PM until they kick us out!

Where: The Tilted Kilt Pub Mission Valley – 1640 Camino Del Rio N, San Diego, CA 92108 (Not to be confused with the Downtown location)

Why: Why not?! Nerd out with great company, like minded friends, drinks, food and knowing my San Diego friends we’ll probably tweeting the night away to document an amazing time!

Head count is appreciated so RSVP is highly recommended but not required.  If you’d like to attend, please tweet me, leave a comment or just show up! Can’t wait for you all to Talk Nerdy To Me in San Diego!

Since that post I haven’t had a chance to meet him yet but I always believe things happen exactly when they’re suppose to happen so I’m thinking that tomorrow is the day I’ll finally meet Keith Ferrazzi in San Diego!

Never Eat Alone dispels the myth that  business relationships must be kept strictly professional. Business relationships can be rooted on friendship, authenticity and generosity just like personal relationships. I identified with this book so much because I use Social Media as a primary tool for creating marketing opportunities for both myself and businesses. If you read my recent post on being cast for a Microsoft commercial you’ll understand the many opportunities I’ve created for myself through Social Media by sharing personal stories.

Social Media is a medium that encourages people to be honest, authentic and real when creating marketing messages for their business. It personalizes and humanizes experiences for consumers, which is the exact type of connection Keith Ferrazzi emphasizes creating in Never Eat Alone. Keith, clearly understood the importance of building strong relationships even before Social Media became a prominent marketing tool. But since Social Media has revolutionized the way we communicate, Keith himself has also embraced the space through connecting with people on Facebook, Twitter and his blog.

If you’d like to join me in welcoming Keith Ferrazzi to San Diego tomorrow. You can register for his event here. You’ll learn Why Great Relationships Matter in Business. Dr. Irwin Jacobs will be in conversation with Keith Ferrazzi.

In addition to attending Keith Ferrazzi’s event tomorrow I’ve been nudging him on Social Media to see if he has some time come into San Diego a little early to enjoy a nice walk, hike or even a meal with myself and perhaps some other San Diego business leaders who are interested! If you’d like to connect with Keith in San Diego, please let him know! The San Diego social space has so many amazing leaders that I know Keith will have an opportunity to learn, collaborate and enjoy some great spots during his time here!

If you don’t already have Keith’s books, check them out at the library or purchase them below! I’ll write a follow up post soon after meeting Keith Ferrazzi tomorrow! I’m really looking forward to it!

• 
Attract qualified customers and strategic partners 
 
• Increase visibility for both yourself and your business 
• Alleviate privacy concerns related to Social Networking 

During this seminar I’ll teach you several advanced strategies for updating your personal social networks while providing positive visibility to your business. This knowledge will allow you to make enhancements in your marketing so you’ll become tremendously more confidant and effective online. If you want to be highly effective at marketing your business don’t miss out on Personal Branding on Social Media!

The home of Digital Media Now seminars is located at Pangea Bakery Cafe. Pangea Bakery Cafe is spacious, clean and beautiful. Upon touring the location, I felt the positive energy and knew it was the right place to host my seminars. Attached to their main cafe, they have a great event space in the back, which makes it even more perfect for hosting Digital Media Now. Here’s a glimpse of the space you’ll experience as an attendee.

Pangea’s Mission:
Pangea’s mission is to bring the world together. They bring the world of delicious baked goods and innovative people to create a community about food and innovation. Pangea is about fellowship, starting with flavors from their roots in Taiwan and reaching out to bring the continents of delicious cuisine together here in America.

Also since I’m a Yelper and even help businesses to encourage authentic Yelp reviews, I must point out that with over 100 reviews on Yelp, Pangea is holding up strong with 4 stars!

I’m really looking forward to hosting Digital Media Now seminars at Pangea Bakery Cafe and can’t wait to see you at our next event on Wed. November 2nd, 2011. Seats are limited so reserve your spot here.