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Trick-or-Treat? Addressing the Scary and Sweet Sides of Social Media

halloween picThe Halloween season is upon us once again and visions of candy corns are dancing in our heads…

But marketers don’t get to trick-or-treat for candy. Instead, we’re collecting and sorting the tricks and treats of the social media realm, also known as consumer feedback—and believe me some of it can be downright frightening.

So how can you appropriately address the influx of both negative and positive feedback which emerge on your Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts day-in and day-out? Well, besides throwing salt over your shoulder or avoiding black cats at all costs, try heeding these quick tips.

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Taylor Swift Teaches Us All a Valuable Social Media Lesson

OK, let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way. Yes, this is the second post I have written about Taylor Swift in a little over a month. I promise, while I do find some of her tunes catchy, I am not a super fan—she just keeps making news related to content marketing!

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Without going into too much detail, Swift made news this past week when she reacted to a tweet by hip hop artist Nicki Minaj. The pop singer thought the tweet was aimed at her and quickly fired back a civil, yet pointed rebuttal. The problem, however, was that Swift was not the intended target of the original tweet. After a quick back-and-forth squabble, Swift apologized on Twitter, which seems to have resolved the feud, at least for now.

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Don’t Let Social Trends Scare You: Start Using Them to Your Advantage

shutterstock_285775508As more and more people turn to social networking sites as an all-inclusive location for their news, sports and entertainment, it has become more important than ever for marketers to be constantly plugged in to the trends of social media.

At first glance, the idea of constantly keeping up with the giant wealth of ever-changing information present on social networks seems incredibly daunting, especially for smaller businesses without the aid of a full marketing team. In reality, however, businesses with any size and capability can capitalize on social media trends to spread awareness of their brand.

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How Do I Find My Audience on Social Media?

photo 1 (8)Last week, we finished up our Content Marketing Crash Course, designed to bring marketing awareness to the local community, at our Content Boost office (recaps available here and here!). It was a great day filled with interesting dialogue.

One question that seemed to come up a lot was, “How do I find my audience on social media?” It’s an interesting question and one that doesn’t have a particularly short answer. Continue reading “How Do I Find My Audience on Social Media?”

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Playing Twitter Like a Game

If you’re interested in content marketing chances are you’re most likely also interested in learning how your business will play in the world of social media.

It’s well known that many small- to medium-sized business owners are hesitant about getting on social media, specifically Twitter (I’ve come across too many to count). Oftentimes, they are worried they’re getting into the game too late and therefore won’t be able to compete with more established brands. I wanted to take a moment to share with you a recent experience that I had with this 140-character megaphone.

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Major Brand Thinking Out of the Box on Social Media

Today’s brands are savvy. They’re utilizing social media to handle customer service requests and to connect intimately with customers where they hang out most. But some brands are taking it to the next level, pushing the envelope on what social media can truly accomplish.

marcjacobsFashion icon Marc Jacobs recently finished up his second casting call for a new ad campaign through social media, and the results were impressive. Aspiring models were encouraged to post photos of themselves through Instagram and Twitter, using hashtag #castmemarc to become the new face of Marc by Marc Jacobs. Over 70,000 hopefuls entered during the one week casting period, eager to be part of an ad campaign for one of today’s hottest fashion brands. Eligible participants were narrowed down to the final 50, then 30, and finally nine lucky winners. Marc Jacobs got fresh new faces for their campaign, and nine aspiring models got a chance to build their careers: a win-win. Continue reading “Major Brand Thinking Out of the Box on Social Media”

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5 Simple Social Media Strategy Tips to Implement Today

897px-Facebook_like_thumbThere’s no doubt that social media has forever changed the way brands interact and engage with consumers. Through social, businesses are able to spread brand awareness, generate leads and create meaningful relationships with buyers. Despite the various benefits and popularity of social, however, many businesses still seem to struggle with implementing a successful strategy. Continue reading “5 Simple Social Media Strategy Tips to Implement Today”

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5 Social Media Mistakes to Ditch in 2015

Let’s face it: we’ve all made some mistakes on social media. But somehow it still surprises me when the basics are thrown by the wayside. This year, make an early New Year’s resolution to finally ditch the following social media mistakes once and for all. social media UNSIZED

Spelling & grammatical errors: You proof read your emails before you send them out, your press release before it gets distributed, and your banner ads before they get posted. Get into the habit of doing the same with your social media posts. Yes, it’s more of a casual atmosphere than some other forms of business communication, but you’ll make yourself look like a fool if you don’t know the difference between “your” and “you’re”. Remember the old saying, “measure twice, cut once?” Apply the same principal to your social posts and re-read it twice, post once.

Inappropriate posts: In my very honest opinion, we live in an excessively sensitive world. You may view your joke as harmless, but your neighbor may see it as the most offensive thing they’ve heard. If a post seems like it could be on the verge of inappropriate or offensive, skip it altogether. Keep your brand’s personality and humor alive, but keep it tasteful. Continue reading “5 Social Media Mistakes to Ditch in 2015”

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Social Media Contests: Good or Bad Idea?

photo 2A few months ago, I entered a contest on Twitter to win a free spa getaway at the lovely Mayflower Grace in Washington, Connecticut. Excited and shocked to learn I was the winner, (I rarely win things) I immediately shared my excitement on social media.

When we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted by friendly staff, and escorted to our beautiful room with a breath-taking garden view. Everything was exquisite, from the delicious food to the out-of-this world spa. At dinner that night, we were asked by our waiter what we did to deserve to win such a great prize. “I think I entered my email address and retweeted something,” I responded. The waiter looked less than impressed, expecting my answer to be a bit more long-winded and involved. His response got me thinking – what is the true value of a contest on social media? Continue reading “Social Media Contests: Good or Bad Idea?”