It happens once a year – Moms from all over the nation congregate in one place and talk all things women empowerment and advancement. It’s Mom 2.0. This conference brings 600+ moms together who boast more than just motherhood on their resumes; we’re talking about women who are leading bloggers, entrepreneurs, and marketers – […]
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By Molly Daly
I’d wager to guess that almost every Facebook user has seen a meme in their day. There’s a decent chance that those memes feature cats. The Internet has had a long lasting love affair with felines and many cite the ancient Egyptians as unknowing inspiration to future generations.
The concept of Internet memes has spread from culture sites such as Reddit and 4Chan and worming its way into the mainstream and life as we know it. For “meme management” pioneer Ben Lashes, it’s a way of life. After success with perhaps one of the oldest cat memes, Keyboard Cat, Lashes left his job as a music distributor and started managing memes full time. Keyboard Cat has made several television appearances, and his likeness was even used in a Pistachios commercial, with over 2.5 million YouTube views on the ad alone.
Photo courtesy of YouTube.com
Lashes manages other popular memes such as Nyan Cat, and Grumpy Cat, among others. There’s a bit of a feline pattern here, but that’s no surprise to a Redditor or a cat lover. (Or in my case, both.) Therefore, I am pleasantly surprised by the recent leaps Internet cats have made towards television and film.
Photo courtesy of GrumpyCats.com
Grumpy Cat, who was boosted to extreme popularity thanks to Reddit, has hailed many accolades. Voted Meme of the Year at the 2013 Webby Awards, she now has over 1 million Facebook likes under her dwarfish belt, was a star at SXSW – and just scored a movie deal. I can only hope the proposed Garfield-style family film lands on its feet.
Photo courtesy of LilBub.com
Another figure in the feline field is Lil Bub, who won big at the Tribeca Film Festival with her documentary on cats and the Internet, titled Lil Bub and Friendz. If this blog post caught your cat fancy, I definitely recommend checking out the trailer.
There’s no question that the popularity of Internet memes affects marketers in a big way. So how can brands catch the breaking memes before they become too mainstream? “Become a nerd about memes,” says Ben Lashes, in an interview with Big Think. “Watch culture websites like the stock market.” For me in particular, this advice is not hard to follow.
By Meredith Lorch
Photo Credit: Gizmodo
All the foodie photos and selfie snapshots on your Instagram feed are about to be brought to life. Vine has largely dominated the video-sharing world in recent months, but Instagram has just added video features to its iPhone and Android apps, creating quite the buzz. The question is clear: does Video on Instagram mean the downfall of Vine?
Only time will tell whether Video on Instagram will outcompete its rival. Some continue to see real potential in Vine. Gary Vaynerchuk, a brand consultant and industry thought leader, is even creating a talent agency for Vine stars, called “Grape Story.” Despite this, it’s hard to believe that Vine will amount to anything more than a fad. While its novel six-second looping video format is initially charming, Vine’s brief, repetitive nature quickly becomes overwhelming. Add in the effect of camera shake and erratic Vines can be dizzying.
Photo Credit: Tech Crunch
Both Vine and Video on Instagram employ a simple tap-and-hold-to-record feature, but Vine fails to capitalize on post-production features. The beauty of Instagram lies in the 13 brand new filters created exclusively for video—not to mention an image-stabilization tool called Cinema for capturing crisp, shake-free video. Users can also browse Instagram videos on a website—unlike Vine, which solely allows for video exploration within the app. Overall, Instagram’s new 15-second video capability allows users to share the adventure and splendor of their worlds unlike ever before, posing a serious threat to competitors.
Photo Credit: ABC News
So what’s on the horizon? Rumor has it Instagram has potential for Google Glass integration. The possibilities are seemingly endless. With its latest update, Instagram has solidified its place as a classic sharing tool that is here to stay—and not just for the foodies.
Everywhere has a robust internship program and we invite our interns to participate by writing on our blog. Meredith Lorch is an intern from Emory University. She authored this blog post.
By: Kelly Heisler
There were signs of progress in the crowded streets of Port Au Prince: Less tents and less rubble. Less evidence that Haiti is the victim of nature’s fury time and again. The people there have lived through the earth shifting beneath them, the rains unrelenting and the unforgiving outbreak of foreign disease.
I recently visited Haiti for the second time. I returned to the country to make good on a promise our group made 18 months ago. We had promised to return and to teach a group of small business owners and artisans skills in technology. Armed with a contribution of laptops from Microsoft and a group of writers, journalists and well-meaning individuals, we ventured back to the small island that never seems to catch a break.
During a round table waiting for dinner one night in Jacmel, I listened to the stories of the dozen women embarking on our adventure. Their tales ran the gamut from sneaking across the border to help women in Afghanistan to losing one’s family to a hostile political regime.
I am a born and bred American girl, who went to college and grew up on middle class means. I work at a marketing agency in Atlanta and live what could very rightly be called “a charmed life”. I had never crossed the Tiber River, I don’t have deep cultural roots and traditions and I don’t have stories that move people to tears over the triumph of the human spirit.
What I do have is compassion. One of the women at dinner very wisely stated, “All anyone can do is make use of the talents and opportunities they have. Do what you can.” What I can do is marketing. So what does that mean for the people of Haiti?
It means that I can find ways to spread the word about Heart of Haiti, a trade not aid line of products made by Haitians to create sustainable income. It means I can teach artisans how to use the tools available to them to reach the American market and connect with customers. It means I can use my work in Social Media to connect with other organizations and people that feel the need to bring progress to those less fortunate.
These tools and skills are something that can grow a business and by result help feed a family. It’s what little I can do. No matter one’s profession, or inclination there is always something you can do to contribute to the world, community or individual.
I am thankful for the people that sat at that table. They inspire me with their remarkable stories and accomplishments. Despite our different backgrounds and culture, there was no denying the common thread that tethered us all to that circle. We all wanted to do something and we are all devoted to doing what we can.
By Leighanne Ferri
I’m sure many can relate when I say that after spending an hour (or five) on Pinterest, I often feel a strong urge to work out, bake, craft or shop. On our personal Pinterest pages, we pin things that apply to our own interests, lifestyles and hobbies.
On the consumer side, we want to see things we are interested in from the people, and companies, we follow. We want ideas on how to put an outfit together, how to bake the perfect birthday cake or plan the ideal vacation. Brands can, and should, use this to their advantage. In order to create advocates for your brand, you must actively engage your consumers. After reading up on some creative ways of how brands are using Pinterest, I’ve come up with a few of my own.
Promote your Brand’s Lifestyle
Free People, a popular boho-chic fashion brand does an impeccable job promoting not just their brand, but the lifestyle they represent. The Free People woman is free-spirited and in tune with her mind, body and soul. One of their boards entitled ‘FP Movement’ boasts gorgeous photos of women in yoga poses, inspirational quotes, health tips and beautiful photography. The ‘Festival Fashion’ board highlights style trends from booming music festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo. This is all a part of the FP lifestyle, and thus, the FP brand.
Image courtesy of styleblazer.com
Limit the Clutter
The next thing a brand should do is limit the clutter. As a consumer, I want to hop on a company’s Pinterest page and immediately see boards that stand out to me and push me to explore further. Although Walmart is a huge, well-known company, they have 80+ boards that seem repetitive to the buyer. A good example of pinning brevity is the Nike Women page, which has 10 concise boards with relevant content that supports current campaigns, as well as workout graphics and motivation pins.
Be Relatable and Relevant
The Whole Foods shopper is typically a health-conscious individual who appreciates being kept up-to-date with current health trends. Whole Foods Market does a fabulous job relating to its consumers and staying relevant. Their ‘#HealthYeah’ board provides an enthusiastic outlook on getting healthy while tying in the trendy use of the hashtag. Boards labeled ‘Summer Vacation!’ and ‘Savor Summer’ are seasonal and valuable to the follower.
Stay consistent (if it makes sense)
For brands that have a distinct voice or social media presence (like us), it is recommended to carry that presence into your Pinterest boards. Take our example. Everywhere brands its boards by remaining consistent, with titles including ‘Everyday Everywhere’, ‘Infographics Everywhere’ and ‘Events Everywhere’. Notice a pattern? Consistency makes your brand easily recognizable and accessible. This example aside, some companies may benefit from changing up their boards to appeal to different consumers; it’s all about what works for your brand.
Image courtesy of hongkiat.com
As a Pinterest fanatic, I can vouch for most consumers when I say that utilizing these methods to keep your brand’s Pinterest page up to par would definitely appeal to me. Executing these tactics engages viewers and can immensely benefit your social media and real life presence in the mind of the consumer.
Everywhere has a robust internship program and we invite our interns to participate by writing on our blog. Leighanne Ferri is an intern from Florida State University. She authored this blog post.
We’re proud of our social media internship at Everywhere. Every semester, two to three interns are chosen to work in our offices and gain experience in our arena. We ask each intern to submit a blog post as part of their training. The following blog post was penned by Courtney Goldin.
I’ve come to understand it’s the experiences you rack up in a lifetime that make for an excellent journey.
An Atlanta native, I attend college in a little town in Alabama called Auburn studying public relations – a decision that put me on a path towards a career I love and can excel in.
It just happened like that. When I landed my first internship as a college undergrad at the Everywhere offices, with it came the opportunity to return to my Atlanta roots in the Old Fourth Ward, interning with a great firm specializing in social media marketing.
I have always loved the different aspects of social media. From Pinterest, which has given me the ability to pin the things I love and want to remember on a virtual pin board and express my creativity through clothing, quotes and people that inspire me, to Twitter, which has helped me to keep up with current events and trending topics. I am excited for the chance to dive deeper and use the tools to help actual clients from a business perspective.
Everywhere has this great ability to connect, listen and tap into public trends… and of course attract the right kind of crowd to host a fabulous tweetup! The kickoff party of the summer, the Digitini, is an experience I will never forget.
Earlier this May, Everywhere hosted a Digitini tweetup honoring blogger Ananda Leeke. An inspiration to our team, Ananda founded The Digital Sisterhood, where she empowers women in social media through Digital Sisterhood Radio and #DigitalSisterhood Wednesdays on Twitter. Her social media activism and accomplishments, dedication to blogging and even her role as a Heart of Haiti ambassador have endeared her to our team as our “digital sister.”
Every detail of the event was made to perfection, from delectable strawberry, s’more and chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting from O.M.G. Cupcakes to mixing up Digitinis, concocted from a recipe of peach-flavored Ciroc, lemonade and white grape juice – I can assure you, not a single drop was wasted!
Surrounded by social media friends, influencers and local bloggers, we presented Ananda with the key to the Digital Sisterhood in Atlanta not only recognizing her accomplishments, but also exemplifying social media’s ability to forever change the way people connect, engage and empower each other through technology.
The Digitini tweetup gave me a valuable insight into the social media world, testing my social skills and giving me the opportunity to connect with people who share my passion. I look forward to the lessons and new experiences this summer internship holds. Through Digitini, I was able to take a look out of that great door and continue my adventure of possibilities.
It doesn’t seem that long ago when people were still talking about brochures. Remember those tri-fold pamphlets created by expensive copywriters and graphic designers? Before we went to press, we inspected the copy and images as if it were a newborn baby. They were like oversized business cards we all handed out, as if to say, “Look at us! We’re official! Here’s our brochure.” Now the very word, “brochure” seems dated.
I’d like to hazard a guess that in today’s digital age, brochures have finally been put to rest. I’ve had my hand in far too many brochures to count and I say, “Good riddance.” The energy we once put in brochures now deserves to go whole-heartedly towards a blog. No longer does a business need to rely on dry corporate sounding information and bullet points. A blog speaks in a human voice and has the potential to showcase the people, passion and knowledge base of your business.
That said, It’s hard for businesses to abandon the corporate speak of a brochure and embrace “blogginess.” Here are a few tips to get you started:
Last but not least, take that budget you had for brochure printing and production and put it into your blog.
10.16.2009 – LAS VEGAS – Attendees of the BlogWorld & New Media Expo in Las Vegas will use their powerful roles as social networking pioneers for an historic Guinness World Record attempt — Most Widespread Social Network Message in 24 Hours. The attempt, which will urge those in attendance and hundreds of thousands of their followers across the globe to distribute the message #BeatCancer, will also raise money for non-profit cancer organizations. The attempt will begin Friday, October 16th at 9am PST and end on Saturday, October 17th at 9am PST. The BlogWorld & New Media Expo features keynotes and panels with some of the biggest names in social media. This is a mass effort to show how social media can be used for social good.
Attendees of the conference and people all over the Internet will be asked to send tweets, issue Facebook status updates and blog using #BeatCancer in their posts. These messages will then be tracked and registered by Radian6, the premier social media monitoring service.
“The team at BlogWorld is proud to be part of this record-setting social media event,” said Rick Calvert, CEO of BlogWorld/New Media Expo. “We’re especially excited that we can be the launch point for bringing people together to help fight cancer.”
“We’re always on the lookout for new and exciting ideas, and when approached about a mass social media experiment that plans to rally people to support the fight against cancer were happy to oblige in adjudicating this record attempt,” said Stuart Claxton, Guinness World Records® spokesperson. “This will be the largest social media record attempt to be considered by Guinness World Records and will set a benchmark for social media monitoring moving forward.”
The social media experience is being produced by EVERYWHERE , an Atlanta based social media communications and content company. EVERYWHERE came up with the idea in conversation with CNN anchor, Don Lemon and other members of the EVERYWHERE team. Lemon says “Social media takes the power of an idea to an entirely new level. One minute EVERYWHERE and I are casually mulling over the possibilities of setting a social media record, the next minute it’s a reality that could save lives. Social media for social good. Incredible!” James Andrews, Managing Partner of EVERYWHERE says, “We earn our living in social media, helping big brands be relevant in this space. Because of this, we realized that Twitter and Facebook have the capacity to create change, as we recently saw in Iran. We decided that BlogWorld was the perfect opportunity to launch an effort to get people all over the world to take on a cause that has affected every single family.”
