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With Super Bowl Sunday right around the corner, I thought it would be interesting to look at how social media plays into the game and how things have changed with the growth of social media. With 111.3 million people tuning in to the Super Bowl in 2012, social media experts need to think about what they can do to capitalize on something of such high caliber.
In the following article, they focus on what social media has done to alter the landscape of Super Bowl advertising. The first outlet they explore is YouTube. Before YouTube, if you missed a commercial during the Super Bowl, you simply had to listen to your friends talk about it and kick yourself for not seeing it. Now, however, you have the chance to catch yourself up by being able to view videos within a matter of seconds. You also have the opportunity to share videos via email, Twitter and Facebook, so none of your friends have to miss out on the action either.
In 2012, the NFL also dubbed the hashtag #SB44 so people could post pictures or posts related to all things “Super Bowl.” They also had their very own social media command center for those attending the game in person. There, they were able to give game-day recommendations, such as parking instructions, to those following the links. These are great tools for people to use.
This year, fans can look forward to using their social media outlets for even more exclusivity. Coca Cola and Audi, for example, are both running ads where the public votes online for the outcome of a commercial. Fans will be eagerly awaiting to see if their choice is the winner. So, grab some good eats and tune-in to see how our favorite brands are taking social media and advertising to the next level.
In my social media class, we have learned the importance of knowing your audience and knowing what they want to see when it comes to social media. Our text identifies the following ideas:
I would like to focus on a couple of those areas that I find to be extremely important, “use exclusives” and “invite feedback.” I really like the idea of creating your social media strategy to include exclusivity for the followers. By doing so, people will feel like they are part of a special group that gets all the insight on the organization first. When doing this however, you need to make sure you are posting content that can be considered exclusive.
For example, maybe your organization is coming up with a campaign and your Facebook followers are the first to hear about it. Wouldn’t it be great for them to be able to hear the news and share it with their friends before it is out in the public? This is a good way to make them feel connected and valuable.
I also think inviting feedback is important when using social media. What’s the point of engaging followers if you just want it to be a one-way street? You should encourage followers to comment, share or even question information given. Without making an effort to invite feedback, you might miss the boat. For example, I asked for feedback for a blog last week and guess what….I got feedback. Sometimes, all you need to do is ask.
While there are several things an organization can do to engage followers, I think the steps above are great tools to consider. By incorporating these ideas into your social media plan, you can ensure you are getting the response you are looking for. Sometimes, people just need to know that their opinion counts!
Text Source: Secrets of Social Media Marketing by Paul Gillin
When exploring different Social Media videos on YouTube, I found the following extremely interesting. Check it out and learn facts that will amaze you and show you just how big of an impact Social Media has in our lives.
Obviously, if you’re reading this, you’re probably into blogs. If you have your own, I want you to stop and think about it for a second. Why did you start it? Why do you continue to write on it? Has it changed the way you viewed blogging before you did it?
I started a different blog about a year ago honestly because I thought I needed a place to express myself. I was fairly unhappy with my job at that point and was able to use the blog as a place to privately express how I was feeling. I use the term “private” vaguely. I didn’t use any identifying information or really knock my previous employer, but more just gave examples of situations that we all face and how I felt about them. With this blog, I found that it was a bit harder for me to get into it because I am extremely happy in my life right now. I think that I’ve always used writing as an outlet to relieve stress, but I’m starting to learn that I can do it at anytime.
Recently in my Social Media class, I read a chapter from Secrets of Social Media Marketing by Paul Gillin. In Chapter 5, titled Corporate Soapboxes, it talks about blogging as a business and actually gives a step-by-step survey on if blogging is right for you. After reading through that, I found that it’s important to think about if you’re interested in blogging, passionate about something, knowledgeable and if you communicate well. It also noted that it’s important to have thick skin. If you’re posting a blog that is open to the public, you need to be prepared to receive comments from people that might not agree with what you’re saying. I think this was great advice and wanted to share!
Recently during a class discussion, the topic was brought up regarding potential employers requiring candidates to open their Facebook accounts during an interview. This is obviously a tricky subject, because most people feel like this is a violation of privacy. However, who could possibly think that Facebook is private? Is privacy having 500 people(“friends”) or more that can see everything you post? Or possibly having more people look at your page assuming you might not have the strictest privacy settings?
While I think it is a bit extreme for potential employers, I can’t help but play devil’s advocate and think about how it might benefit them. For example, some people openly post pictures of themselves in compromising positions such as drinking(drunk), flipping off the camera, or acting promiscuous. Would you really want someone like that representing your company? I don’t claim to be the smartest person in the world, but I do know not to post anything that I wouldn’t want everyone to see, and I mean everyone. How do you know that one of your friends doesn’t know someone that may see it and be in a position where they can judge you off of it?
Another topic regarding Facebook is the fact that some workplaces allow employees to get on it during the day and some forbid it. I work for a company that being on Facebook is allowed and actually encouraged at some points because we can “share” things that are posted by the company and use it as a successful tool for networking. However, I know that many companies do not allow it and some even block the website so it can not be accessed. Below, I’ve posted a link to an article about employees being fired over Facebook posts.
Feel free to leave me your comments about this topic as I tend to see both sides’ arguments.
This is a perfect example of why I love Impractical Jokers. This was on an episode a few weeks ago and I think it’s hilarious!
I have never been a great addition in the kitchen. Up until recently, I didn’t even know how to make eggs. However, I have recently developed an interest in baking. I have a huge sweet tooth, so the idea of making my own cupcakes, cookies and brownies was extremely appealing.
I got a standing mixer, mini-cupcake maker and a cupcake cookbook for Christmas. After several successful attempts of baking, I felt confident enough to offer to make cupcakes for a bridal shower I was hosting. The theme of the shower was “Kentucky Derby”, so I decided to make Kentucky Bourbon Cupcakes, which seemed easy enough. However, with my busy schedule, I was not able to begin working on the cupcakes until about 9:00 the night before the shower.
I made the cupcakes with no problem, but then burnt my arm trying to get them out of the oven. It was all downhill from there. Part of the frosting was a mixture between corn syrup, pecans and bourbon that had to be baked and then mixed into the regular frosting. The sticky texture burned in the oven. I was able to salvage enough of the mixture to mix with the frosting. After frosting the cupcakes(which were a dark brown chocolate color), I put the frosting(which was white) on top. It ended up looking absolutely hideous and I knew I couldn’t possibly serve the cupcakes looking like that.
I decided to make a plain buttercream to put on top of the previous frosting mixture. Before I frosted the cupcakes(again), I dipped my finger in it to give it a quick taste test and it was awful! It literally tasted like dirt…or playdough.
Standing in my kitchen stumped on what had happened, I happened to look over at the “powdered sugar” container I had used to make it and realized that I had actually grabbed the “flour” container instead. That explained the taste. I had to completely throw out that batch and start from the beginning, however I realized I had used the last of my butter on the previous batch. I had to make a trip to Walmart around 11:30p.m. I finally got home and began making the frosting again. This was finally a success and I was able to frost the cupcakes and go to bed.
After ALL of that, the cupcakes were a huge success! Although I was glad to have been able to make them for the shower, I will definitely reconsider in the future before agreeing to something like that. Or…I may just start a little earlier! Needless to say, I survived and I think that if I can make this recipe, anybody can! I’ve attached the link to the recipe below.
I work for an organization that provides support for the poor and suffering around the world. We recently received thank you letters from children in the Philippines thanking us for things they had received from us, including food, shoes and work-training. It was amazing to read the comments from the children and to look at the pictures they created to sum up what it had meant to them.
Many of the children discussed the food they were given. They said things like “thank you for the rich food” and “thank you for feeding my family.” They also thanked us for the shoes that were provided by TOMS. They drew pictures of TOMS and called them by name. They were so proud to have a nice, new pair of shoes. One child even thanked us for teaching their mother how to make paper flowers. Confused by what this meant, I realized that the mother was enrolled in our Women’s Empowerment program where she was taught job-skills and business tools to start her own business. The pride the child felt for their mother was amazing.
Reading those letters made me feel extremely grateful. There are so many times that we complain about issues that are so minor in the big picture. While we have to decide where we will eat dinner, many simply realize they wont have dinner at all. While many(including myself) complain about what we have to wear, we forget that many don’t have the liberty to choose their clothes. I think it’s important to take a step back every now and then and just remember to be thankful. While you might not be living the life you dreamed, you’re living a life that others have dreamed for.
*Children enrolled in Convoy of Hope’s feeding program
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