SubscribeAnnouncing my Secret Social Media Video Project!
I had an amazing 2011 and just 2 days into the new year, I got an idea for an EPIC Social Media video! What a great way to kick off the new year with a brand new project?! I knew I wanted to get this project off the ground ASAP so of course I turned to my community with a Tweet and Facebook update.
After responding to a few comments and sending out a few emails, within a few hours it was all set! I had my videographer, co-stars for my video and a time and place to film! Talk about making things happen quickly! Throughout all the planning, my good friend @LoMagna who knows me too well (She and I went to high school together and traveled to Hong Kong!) sent me a chat message as soon as she saw my post:
Yep @LoMagna was 100% spot on, even with the title of the video! Hence, why I had to bleep it out in our chat since it’s a secret! As stated in my chat to her, I’m so excited about this video. If you’re a part of my community on Twitter, Facebook or any other Social Network I know you’ll love it too and want to share it with all your friends! I’m doing this entire project just for fun, but I would love to see the power of viral videos work its magic so I’m aiming for at least 1 million views on this video!
Check out my List of 12s for 2012s. It’s # 8 “I’m not a regular YouTuber but I’m currently working on an awesome Social Media related video that will be published soon. My goal is to get at least 1 million views on this video. I know that sounds extreme, especially since my current YouTube videos have views only in the hundreds. I’ve got a good feeling about this video and in 2012 I’m going to get 1 million views on my social media related YouTube video.“
So now that you’re all wondering what the heck is this video that I keep hyping up?! Any guesses? Surely someone other than @LoMagna can guess what my video is going to be about!
Special thanks to @jennyjenjen, @ipodschun, @robotfaith and @chriskirkman for all being a part of my Secret Social Media Video Project! I seriously can’t wait to show you all what I’ve been working on! We’re doing final edits on the video and it should be up in the next day or so! In the meantime feel free to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel so you can be one of the first to be notified when the video is posted! STAY TUNED!
Ringing in the New Year with List of 12s for 2012!
Happy New Year! 2011 was amazing! And I’m excited for what 2012 has in store. For my first post of 2012 I’m sticking with the “new year” theme!
I love making lists. To-do lists are the most common for me. I make these daily to stay on task with both my personal and professional life. In fact I’ve even added things to my to-do list after I already accomplished them, just so I can check it off. C’mon I know I’m not the only one who’s done this before! Fess up if you have!
Instead of resolutions, I shared with my network that 2012 means making “Lists of 12s”!
I’m working on lists of 12 new restaurants to try, 12 new places to go, 12 marketing goals for my business and first list I made is of course related to tech and social media: 12 tech/web/social media related things I’d like to accomplish in 2012!
1. Pinterest- We all know about my food porn addiction. I recently joined Pinterest and wow, it’s any food porn addict’s DREAM! I have 2 boards related to food. My Sweet Tooth is filled with gorgeous, mouth-watering sweets. Rather than just look at these images and drool, in 2012 I’m going to actually make at least 2 desserts I’ve pinned on Pinterest. (Give me food and I’ll cook but please note I have virtually zero experience when it comes to baking sweets so this is something new for me!)
2. Facebook- Part of what I do for my Marketing clients is work with them to create customized social media profiles that are cohesive with their brand and website. You know the old saying “The Cobbler’s children have no shoes”? I spend a lot of time helping clients create a marketing strategy that effectively integrates social media and Facebook is one of the main tools I use. However, even though I help clients with this, I personally haven’t had an opportunity to customize my own Facebook page. In 2012, I’m going to redesign my Facebook Page so it’s cohesive with my website and brand.
3. Yelp- Write a minimum of 12 new Yelp reviews in 2012
4. LinkedIn- I’m grateful that I’ve received so many positive recommendations from my colleagues, clients and partners on LinkedIn. I’m truly humbled by reading the things people who have benefited from my work. I’ve been meaning to create a “Testimonials” section on my website by transferring many of my LinkedIn recommendations. In 2012 I’m going to create a “Testimonials” section on my website based on my LinkedIn recommendations.
5. Gmail- I’ve created folders and filters for many emails, but not all. I have thousands and thousands of unread messages in my inbox. I’ve trained myself to skip over unimportant emails such as ones from newsletters I don’t recall signing up for or emails related to people connecting with me on a social network but this still means there’s clutter in my inbox. In the past few days I’ve already unsubscribed from about 15 email lists and removed over 4000 messages from my inbox. I have over 8000 to go! In 2012 I’m going to get my gmail inbox down to zero, for the first time ever!
6. Foursquare- I’m a total Foursquare lover! I was traveling internationally in 2010 on Foursquare Day (4/16) and still manged to organize and host Foursquare Day in Hong Kong! In 2011 I hosted Foursquare Day San Diego in America’s Finest City! I’m currently a Super User- Level 2. The highest Super User Level is 3 and I’ve read that it’s virtually impossible to become a Level 3 Super User but my wordplay mind gets turned on because in the word “impossible” I just see the words “I’m possible” so in 2012 I’m going to become a Foursquare Super User- Level 3!
7. Evernote- While Evernote helps me stay organized; my Evernote itself needs to be organized. Whenever I forward an email to my Evernote the email doesn’t get categorized into a folder immediately. This is the main ways I update my Evernote so I definitely have some cleaning up to do. In 2012 I’m going to clean up my Evernote account.
8. YouTube- I’m not a regular YouTuber but I’m currently working on an awesome Social Media related video that will be published soon. My goal is to get at least 1 million views on this video. I know that sounds extreme especially since my current YouTube videos have views only in the hundreds. I’ve got a good feeling about this video and in 2012 I’m going to get 1 million views on my social media related YouTube video.
9. Twitter- All of my Twitter followers were gained authentically through people finding my page and being interested in topics I tweet about. I’d like to continue being a resource on Twitter but also build up my Twitter following with more people who are engaged in conversation and content I post. In 2012 I’m going to grow my Twitter following to over 5000 while keeping in mind this must be done authentically through just being me!
10. Phone- My Droid 2 just isn’t cutting it! Rather than continue to complain about how my phone is slow in 2012 I’m going to get a new phone!
11. Laptop- My laptop and all the information it contains is literally my most valuable possession. It contains photos, music, confidential documents etc. It used to be backed up on the cloud but my subscription ended and I haven’t had a chance to renew. Whether on the cloud or on a hard drive, in 2012 I need to make sure I back up my laptop again!
12. Blogging- My last in my list of 12s is something that will keep me accountable for 1-11 on this list! And that’s to write a follow up blog post in 6 months and then right before on 2013 on what items have been checked in on this tech/web/social media list of 12!
Wishing everyone the best of the best in 2012! Thank you to everyone who reads my posts. I’ve really appreciate the comments, tweets, Facebook Likes, Subscribes and emails! It makes me happy to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time!
Marketing Melodie in 2011: A Year in Review
Happy 2012 everyone! I can’t believe another year has gone by. The start of a new year is always a great time for me to reflect on the previous year and set goals for the upcoming year but also appreciate the present moment and everything that’s led me to where I am today.
At the end of 2010 I decided to write Marketing Melodie in 2010: A Year in Review. I have a habit of discrediting many of my accomplishments because I feel like I can always do more. Writing this really allows me to appreciate and be grateful for everything that I have done rather than focus on what I haven’t. Just like I did for 2010 here’s a year in review of 2011 highlighting noteworthy events, clients, blog posts, friends, accomplishments, adventures and amazing opportunities.
*JANUARY*
While marketing is my expertise and passion, I have another passion; YOGA! I’m very grateful for one of my clients this year, La Jolla Yoga Center. Creating marketing campaigns and strategies for a yoga studio I love definitely makes me happy. I trained their team on using social media to grow their business and helped them get set up on Facebook and Twitter. They’re definitely doing a great job connecting with yogis on social media!
I’ve been practicing yoga for a few years and really wanted to strengthen my practice and take it to the next level. I contemplated getting my yoga teaching certification for a while. It’s a huge time commitment and I was really on the fence. Well I made the decision to go ahead with yoga teacher training and can now say, if you are ever on the fence, DO IT! I am so happy I completed my Yoga Teacher Training and wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. I began my training in January and completed my 200 RYT Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training at the inspirational La Jolla Yoga Center, located right on the beach! I met so many amazing new friends, learned so much about myself and really took my yoga practice to the next level.
*FEBRUARY*
I hosted the 2nd event in my Digital Media Dinners series. The topic: Social Media Branding. This was a great milestone because it officially turned Digital Media Dinners into a series rather than a one off event. I taught strategies on how to strengthen people’s brand across various social networks including review sites such as Yelp, group buying sites such as Groupon and location based sites such as Foursquare. I incorporated a variety of sites because marketing and social media is growing beyond just Facebook and Twitter.
*MARCH*
Since I learn and receive so much from my online and social media community, I really want to give back. I did this by hosting Twestival San Diego. This event is hosted all over the nation using social media for social good by connecting communities offline on a single day to highlight a great cause and have a fun event. It’s entirely promoted via social media. Twestival San Diego was hosted at the Keating Hotel and all proceeds benefited the San Diego After School All Stars.
Me and a few other lovely Yogis were featured on KUSI demonstrating Bootcamp for Yogis run by my fellow yoga teacher trainee, Body By Mags. Check out the video below where I get my 5 minutes of fame while I’m smiling through holding a yoga tough pose and demonstrating yoga boot camp moves (Warrior has got nothing on me!).
VIDEO: Yoga Boot Camp Video
I successfully pulled my second April Fool’s Joke on Social Media! Everyone decided to wish me a Happy Birthday on April Fool’s this year!
The first annual Foursquare Day celebration took place in 2010 and I hosted Foursquare Day Hong Kong. This year I was in my home town, San Diego and had the opportunity to host Foursquare Day San Diego for my community at R Gang Eatery. Check in specials, complimentary wine, cocktails, delicious comfort food with an upscale twist, friends, badges and a good time was had! Foursquare Day on 4/16 (Yep that’s 4 squared which equals 16) is officially, my favorite geek Holiday!
Oh not to mention, I met my first Celebrity Chef, Rich Sweeney @ChefRicSweeney from Season 5 of Top Chef who is also the head of R Gang Eatery. You can read all about my addiction to food porn and cooking shows here.
*MAY*
I was interviewed by the San Diego Reader on using LinkedIn for Job Seekers. I shared my insight, advice and was gratefulto have my article published both in their paper and online! You can read the full article here.
Another Geek Holiday takes place in May! Star Wars day on May 4th! May the Fourth be with you! I celebrated with some fun posts on Social Media!
*JUNE*
I really want to help others with yoga passion so I hosted my first yoga event: Yoga For the Busy Body at Hera Hub! I really want to provide an opportunity for other busy professionals and entrepreneurs to have a chance to experience the benefits of yoga while teaching them poses they can do on their own despite their busy lives. That’s exactly what I accomplished at this event.
*JULY*
I was cast in a Microsoft Commercial! It was such an amazing experience to work a full day on set as talent! You can read all about how I was casted in the Microsoft Commercial and then watch my commercial when it finally aired below!
VIDEO: Marketing Melodie’s Microsoft Commercial
VIDEO: Digital Media Dinners- How To Build your Social Media Community
*AUGUST*
I attended BlogHer for the first time as it was hosted right here in America’s Finest City. I connected with inspirational bloggers from all across the nation. It was great talking to so many people about their passions and seeing them creatively share it with others through their writing. I had a good time at the conference itself, attending workshops, checking out the booths, the networking events, parties and left with more swag than I knew what to do with!
Oh and I met another Celebrity Chef, Brian Markaley in the Season Final of Top Chef Season 3. He was hosting a BlogHer party!
*SEPTEMBER*
Marketing Melodie is growing quickly! I sent out a call for interns and bring Allison Schummer @AllisonSchummer on board to help me!
Allison recently graduated from SDSU and I give her my highest recommendation to anyone who’s hiring as she’s currently on the market for a new job!
San Diegans experience a MAJOR BLACKOUT! But we united and got through it while making new friends! We proved that even during a black out social media still shines!
*OCTOBER*
Fall is in the air (even though it’s always sunny in San Diego) which means time for a new fall wardrobe! I attended one of my favorite tweetups ever, an Epic event at the Nordstrom Rack Plaza Bonita Grand Opening. I’m a very lucky person, I always win things and that night I won a pair of Designer Hudson Jeans.
In 2009 I said to the universe that I want to meet my favorite author, Keith Ferrazzi. I finally met him 2 years later in San Diego at the Entrepreneur Challenge Fall Kickoff Event at UCSD. He autographed both my books and I learned some awesome networking tips from meeting Keith Ferrazzi.
The Nerds United! I tweeted and connected with amazing new friends from the Talk Nerdy To Me Lover community by hosting @JenFriel and the #nerdsunite crew in San Diego. We had a fun night at the Tilted Kilt San Diego and a nerdy sleepover!
You can read all about the things that make me a nerd here.
*NOVEMBER*
After completing a successful Digital Media Dinners series, I hosted my first Digital Media Now Seminar- Personal Branding on Social Media at Pangea Bakery Cafe. Attendees learned how to make their personal brand cohesive with their business brand.
I was honored with an opportunity to speak to NATAS- National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at their Social Media Workshop. Teaching television professionals how to use Social Media in their industry.
Thanks to the luxury car company, Infiniti and Social Media I enjoyed an amazing afternoon at the San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival. I also met my 3rd celebrity chef this year, Sam The Cooking Guy!
*DECEMBER*
I hosted my first Digital Media Now Webinar on How To Integrat Social Media Into Your Marketing. It gave me a chance to share my knowledge with people who can’t always be available and in San Diego to attend an in person seminar. While there were challenges to work out with my first webinar, I received great feedback and plan to host additional Digital Media Now Webinars in 2012!
I celebrated my Birthday on my lucky day, December 13th (It’s clearly not on April 1st). In the photo below I’m dressed as a Monster, holding a class with an M and Minty Wonderland and Mozart cupcakes. Yep M THEME PARTY!
I began my new venture at National University. I was hired as a Course Developer and Adjunt Professor at National University. My first class starts in January where I’m teaching a marketing class on Interactive Strategies.
Wow a lot has happened in 2012! If you read this entire post or even part of it, THANK YOU! As I reflect on 2011 I just can’t help but smile and be grateful for everyone and everything in my life right now. I am truly blessed and so excited to ring in 2012!
Educating My Way to Success (I’m a Professor at National University!)
I absolutely love teaching and speaking about my passion, Marketing! More specifically, digital marketing and social media. Each time I teach and share my knowledge, I learn more and more about the topics I’m teaching, I become a more effective public speaker and a better leader. In fact I have mastered the art of learning something new every day which truly inspires me to continue doing what I do.
I previously created and taught a Marketing Communications course at Platt College. I’m currently still a sub there when needed. Now I’ve been graced with another opportunity to teach my passion at National University! I was hired as a Course Developer in November, then hired on board as an Adjunct Professor. Yep, Professor Tao has a nice ring to it.
I’m currently creating a course on interactive strategies that will teach students everything they need to know about creating an interactive campaign. The students will choose a real client/organization to work with! From understanding goal setting and market research for their client to targeting the right audience and learning how to effectively communicate and engage their client’s customers through social networks and other marketing mediums. I’ll also be giving examples from real live clients I work with.
My class starts in January! This is a part time gig so I’m still open for business full time here at Marketing Melodie. I’m accepting new consulting clients, booking speaking gigs and other opportunities. I’m so grateful for this new venture and I’m really looking forward to finishing up with the course development, then teaching at National University.
“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear!” (Well looks like students are ready because Professor Tao is here!)
Here’s to a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous Year on my Birthday!
Today is my official birthday!!! I know I’ve been celebrating all month and I also know that I April Fooled many of you earlier this year about my birthday, but today is the real day! I love birthdays because they truly represent the very date that marks the arrival of someone into this world, and each individual comes into this world for a reason. Each person makes a difference and is significant in his/her own way so what better way to recognize this than on their birthday?! Every single year on my birthday I reflect back on everything that happened in the past year and I’m always so grateful for new experiences and lessons that make me a stronger person.
Celebrating my birthday in 2010
This past year has been filled with challenges, change and obstacles in both my personal and professional life but it’s also been filled with joy, fun, success and gratitude. I’m very grateful to everyone who’s been here to support me through difficult times, inspire me to be a better person and motivate me to continued success. Since it’s my birthday I’d like to share some fun facts related to my birthday!
13 is my Lucky Number- Since I’m born on the 13th, 13 has always been and always will be my lucky number. 13 has proven time and time again to be a lucky number for me! I only play Scratchers once and year when I attend the Del Mar Fair in the summer. Check out my only winning Scratcher for the year, notice the Winning Number? Also notice how I won with that number, not once but twice on a single scratcher! Winning with the number 13 happens to me quite often and this is just one example.
Friends who share my lucky birthday, December 13!
- My College Buddy Gary from UCSB is my birthday twin and every year since college we wish each other a happy birthday. Since graduating, we don’t get to see each other but we still give each other a Facebook birthday wish which has become a ritual! He pointed out that we only talk on this day!
- I also have a Birthday Twin on Twitter. A big happy birthday shout out goes to the lovely @mayaBY. We met at a @sdbloggers event last year where I selected her as my Secret Santa to discover she was also my Birthday Twin!
Famous people who share my lucky birthday, December 13!
- Mary Todd Lincoln, First Lady of the United States
- Dick Van Dyke, American actor and comedian
- Tom DeLonge, American guitarist (blink-182, Angels & Airwaves)
- Amy Lee, American singer/songwriter (Evanescence)
- Taylor Swift, American singer
Social Media Fun on my Birthday- Thanks to Social Media, I feel even more birthday love on this day! The birthday wishes are already flooding my Facebook wall and tweet stream. I’m so grateful for everyone who takes the time to wish me a Happy Birthday. I even got a few birthday wishes from some local celebrities!
Birthday Wish from Weather Girl @NBCJodie
Birthday Wish from Sports Illustrated @SI_JimTrotter!
Here’s to celebrating the day you came into the world and here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous year! Oh and since it’s my birthday, what better day than today to have you join my social media community!
I leave you with a quote from the very wise Abraham Lincoln
“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”
Social Media Amusings (Confession- I’m Addicted to food PORN)
Social Media Amusings is new series of posts full of fun things about me and things I come across in the social space that I feel like sharing with all of you. In my last post you guys found out that I’m a Sanrio Character. Today I have a confession… I’m addicted, I mean addicted! to food PORN!
And Social Media only fuels my addiction. Recently I was even given the opportunity to enjoy samples from over 170 Wine & Spirit Purveyors and 70 of San Diego’s Top Chefs thanks to both Social Media and Infiniti! If I was me in another life, Marketing Melodie would be Chef Melodie! I love to cook and I am obsessed with food porn. I love looking at the delicious food you’re putting in your body! It makes my mouth water!
How am I satisfying my Food Porn craving? Take a look!
Social Media Updates- I’ll start with my own community. Anyone who posts what they’re eating for lunch should be banned if there’s no accompanying photo! Stop teasing me by posting about how delicious your meal is, unless you’re going to give me a glimpse! When I check Facebook updates my eyes automatically gravitate toward food photos. I can’t help it, they turn my senses on! I occasionally post food porn photos myself!
Food Blogs- Images trump text in blog posts, which is why I love reading food blogs. The good ones are full of food porn and luckily there’s an abundance of food bloggers out there!
Hear me YELP!- Yelp is great for so many reasons. I’m able to find new spots to check out and it also gives me the opportunity to share the places and restaurants that I love. One of my favorite parts of Yelp is the food photos users post! I get a glimpse of so many different dishes from one restaurant by other consumers which means these photos are authentic, real and delicious!
Lovely Ladies at a Yelp Elite Party!
Reading!- Just like social media updates about food without photos should be banned, cookbooks without photos shouldn’t even be published! I love flipping through cookbooks, reading the recipes then looking at photos of the final product. My favorite food book is a MUST for your coffee table. It’s called, Everything I Ate: A Year in the Life of My Mouth. Tucker Shaw documents every single thing he eats in a year through photos! I’m so intrigued by this book! It’s like an adult picture book. He lives in New York so I definitely want to visit some of the restaurants he dines at next time I’m in the city!
Food Shows Galore!- All of my favorite shows have food in them! I love watching Iron Chef, Top Chef, Man vs Food, Cupcake Wars and more! I could watch Food Network and the Cooking Channel all day! My dream (and I’m putting it out there to the universe) is to be a guest judge on a food show! I also have a bucket list of restaurants that have been featured on shows I want to dine at.
I’m coming near the end of my confession. I must say this post took me longer than normal to write. I also must admit that Food Network has been playing in background this entire time. Oh and I took a break to finish cooking a Butternut Squash Casserole that was in the oven and of course I’ve been eating the entire time I’ve been writing this post too! Happy Eating everyone!
