by violet on January 8, 2010
photo credit: Bermico
People who don’t understand social media often think it’s just a bunch of “stupid status updates.” Well, sure… I guess you could look at it that way but it’s also a huge change in the way we read, understand and communicate with each other. It’s a change in the culture of content consumption.
Two parts of Cory Doctorow’s “How to Say Stupid Things About Social Media” reminded me of two things. First, the underpinnings of social media as linguistic anthropology. In other words, the internet, social networking and social media have changed the way some of us talk to each other and switch between our online language and offline language. In the same way some people are bi-lingual, the switching of languages reflects and emphasizes identity. By this, I don’t necessarily mean acronyms like LOL or WTF; I mean words that are specific to social networks like “tweet”, “retweet”, and “OH:” (overheard) on Twitter.
Secondly, the “banality” of our online conversations as they relate to small talk in the office or an elevator. On the surface, awkward small talk. As a greater whole in the American culture? A way of building networks/alliances through recognizing personal details and emphasizing casual solidarity. Small talk is a huge part of how people understand and perceive each other.
People who are perplexed by how social networks often completely overlook these points. The points of social networking and small talk are so seemingly simple that they’re complex.
It's a secret.... pass it on!
by violet on December 16, 2009
photo credit: jonny2love
As more brands are jumping on to Twitter, I’m starting to notice one thing: how poorly their Twitter bios are written. This is a detail that is often overlooked, which means brands are missing a big opportunity.
Let me give you an example: Say I casually mention that I happen to like Brand X over Brand Y. Brand X is active on Twitter, monitoring their brand (as all brands should be). Brand X sees I mentioned them, and they reach out to me by tweeting something back. I see Brand X in my @ replies tab, click on their name and check out their 160 character Twitter bio. Their very short bio says something like:
We are Brand X, the best something something. Founded in 1820, we’re the oldest Blah Blah Blah, serving original Blah Blahs to over 500,000 people.
Basically, Brand X just gave me some copy they took from the “about us” section on their website. I’m completely uninterested and that’s the end of that. Brand X just missed a huge opportunity — the opportunity to gain a vocal follower who shows an affinity for their brand. What would have been a better Twitter bio for their brand? Something along the lines of:
We tweet about blah blah, our exclusive discount codes, and give away blah blahs every Monday and answer all customer service questions. We’re funny too!
What’s the difference? The second example entices me. I read the bio and I know right away what Brand X is offering, what value they will be adding to my Twitter stream and what kind of tweets I should expect to see. Sure, I want exclusive discount codes. Yes, I want to learn more about office supplies and tips on how to clean my house organically; so yes, I will follow your brand’s Twitter account. If a brand simply writes a short bio on their history, their location or nothing at all, the chances of someone following that brand may dramatically decrease. I imagine that the average person glances over a Twitter bio for a couple seconds and either clicks “follow” or clicks the little X in the upper right hand corner of the browser or tab.
Soooo, in conclusion…Be clear with what your brand or business is offering through Twitter. Entice your followers. Take some time to think about it. Answer one question: Why would anyone want to follow my brand? And please, oh please, don’t just use pre-approved copy off your company website.
It's a secret.... pass it on!
by violet on October 10, 2009
photo credit: tlataille
I spent the last week and a half wandering Paris in search of everything and nothing at the same time. I spent a lot of time learning and soaking in Paris and the Parisian lifestyle. If you’ve never been to Paris, you’re in for a shock. The city is magnificent. Parisians are the polar opposite of Americans. They don’t rush, they take their time and they relax. They have an obsession with baked goods and they certainly don’t work 50-60 hour weeks. While I was there, I was reminded of a couple things that we, as Americans, often forget.
1. There’s Always Room for Dessert
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to wander the streets of Paris, you’ll notice there are bakeries on every corner. You’ll also notice that almost every restaurant in Paris offers a combo with an appetizer, entree, beverage and dessert. While dining at French restaurants, I came to understand that desserts are a part of French cuisine and they are to be enjoyed. This made me realize that in the US, we often skip the simple, small, and sweet things in life because we’re too focused on doing whatever it is that we’re doing (whether it be work, school, a new start-up, a side project etc). We’re so full of our main entree that we can hardly think about dessert. When we do this, we miss out on the simple pleasures in life or a delicious dessert (quite literally). Always enjoy a bit of dessert with your proverbial meal.
2. Take a Step Back to Re-evaluate and Reflect
During my time in Paris, I didn’t sightsee. I sat at cafes sipping coffee, watching the world go by. I watched people from all walks of life come and go. As I sat there, I had time to reflect and re-evaluate my life, my goals, my expectations and my current situations. I tend to reflect on my life often but this time it felt like a breath of fresh air.
I realized sometimes I work so hard toward my goals, I forget to take the time to REALLY evaluate on a large scale. Setting life goals is important but consciously taking the time to re-evaluate and reflect is even more important – whether that means taking a much needed vacation or sitting at your favorite coffee shop and watching the people go by…. everyone needs a breath of fresh air.
3. Striving to be Perfect is a Waste of Time
Parisians wear a lot of black – head to toe. The women look put together, chic and polished. Personally, I never wore black on black. Something about wearing black on black bothered me because I felt the slightly different shades of black looked sloppy and untidy. Now? Don’t be surprised if you find me wearing black on black. Striving to be perfect or attempting to coordinate all the tiny details in life is a waste of time. That time could be spent on other things. I can’t tell you how many times I was *almost* (but NOT) late to an event because I “didn’t have anything to wear.” In retrospect, pulling together an all black outfit and doing a quick mirror check before running out the door would have saved me so much time.
4. Use Kind Words
People say the French are rude. I found this to be completely untrue. Why? I don’t speak much French. Fortunately, most people in France speak English. I managed to get around fine with basic phrases like “hello”, “good evening”, “good bye”, “thank you”, “no thank you”, “excuse me” and most importantly, “I’m sorry I don’t speak French. Do you speak English?” I found people were much friendlier and willing to help me when I used these phrases instead of automatically assuming they speak English and speaking to them in English right away.
These phrases are basic and it may seem like common sense but I’ve met a lot of people that seem to not know this. They are too concerned with getting what they want right away, they forget that people want to be treated like people. If anything, I’d say there are times when us Americans can be very rude.
5. BYOTSC (Bring Your Own Toilet Seat Covers)
No deep thoughts of self-reflection here. I call a spade a spade. There are no toilet seat covers so bring your own. You can get these in the travel section of any Target.
I had a wonderful, unforgettable time in Paris. The culture and the Parisian lifestyle is so different than what I’m used to. It was a much needed vacation and a review course in Life 101. Now I feel refreshed, recharged and ready to take on the world. So watch out!
It's a secret.... pass it on!
by violet on October 10, 2009
photo credit: a4gpa
If you haven’t already heard, I have big news! I have left my role as Community Outreach Manager at Heavybag Media and accepted a position at FIJI Water as Marketing and Social Media Coordinator. Above everything, I am grateful for the opportunities, learning experiences and fun I had at Heavybag Media.
The opportunity at FIJI is a very exciting one and I can’t wait! As the social web changes, businesses are trying to find a way to meaningfully connect with their customers and build communities around their brands (through PR, customer service, marketing, sales etc). FIJI is a brand that understands this and strives to find innovative ways to stay relevant and connect with their online communities. Because of this, I am excited to be part of their online communication strategies as well as their traditional marketing efforts.
Additionally, I will continue to be active on the social web – tweeting, blogging, flickr’ing… etc. I also plan to still attend the LA technology, startup and social media events, so don’t you worry! 
You can read more about my move here. Thanks to LA’s Lalawag for the kind words.
It's a secret.... pass it on!
by violet on September 18, 2009
I’m trying to drink more water. Did you know that the human body is made up of 60-70% water? Not only are our organs made of water but we use water to transport oxygen to the cells in our body. Most people already know that water is fuel for our bodies and that drinking water regularly is essential; but with work, school, errands and our busy lives in general, staying hydrated often becomes an afterthought rather than a habit. Here are 5 tips on how to turn the chore of drinking water into a healthy habit.
photo credit: simplyalex
1. Water, Water Everywhere:
Whether it’s at the office, in your purse, or in the kitchen… make sure you have access to water wherever you are. Carry bottled water with you and you’ll never forget to stay hydrated.
2. Add a Twist:
Add some flavor to your water to refresh your taste buds. Try a cucumber slice, tiny chunk of watermelon, half a strawberry, blueberries or a squirt of fresh lime. Adding a slice of fresh fruit to your water is healthier than juices or sports drinks and has less sugar.
3. Water 2.0:
If you have an iPhone, you can download an app called “8 Glasses a Day.” Touch one of the glasses on your iPhone whenever you drink a real glass of water and see the virtual ones disappear. The app also has push notification to remind you of how many glasses you have left for the day.
4. The Ol’ Switch-a-Roo:
Instead of ordering juice, coffee or soda at a restaurant, have iced water. It’ll not only quench your thirst, but also be more refreshing with your meal. Bonus tip: If you have sensitive teeth, drinking iced water through a straw helps.
5. Find Your Own System:
Whether it’s lining up eight sticky notes on the rim of your computer monitor and taking them down as you drink water or having
a timer go off at the top of every hour, devise a system that works for you. The more memorable the system is for you, the more you’ll be apt to follow it.
Regularly drinking water is a healthy habit. Start slowly and work your way up to 8 glasses of water a day if you need to. Whether you choose one of these tips or come up with your own system, stick to it and you’ll find yourself drinking more water without even thinking about it.
It's a secret.... pass it on!
by violet on August 21, 2009
Today, the darling of socia media, Twitter, announced it would be adding a geo-location feature to tweets. Currently, all the early adopters are fawning over Foursquare, before that it was BrightKite but Google Lattitude never really got on the map (no pun intended). There are also lots of other location based social networks and apps.
Geo-location based social networks are on the rise. Is this the next wave in social networking? Venture capitalist, Fred Wilson, sees a lot of value in location based social networking. Personally, I love using location based social networking apps for three reasons:
1. I like discovering new places in whichever city I’m in.
2. Location based social networks let me see which places my friends are going. I could meet up with them if I’m in the neighborhood or going back to #1, discover new places I probably wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.
3. Location based social networks help me meet like minded people, say at a web conference or tech event.
However, everyone I know who isn’t an early adopter is not so in love with this idea. The mainstream think it’s scary, creepy, mundane or don’t see the value in it. Case in point: when I was in Austin for SXSW Interactive in 2008, I used Brightkite. My phone had never gone off so many times in my entire life. Brightkite was sending me notifications of other people in the tech industry were checking in to all the bars, hotels, cafes etc. I haven’t received a Brightkite notification since then.
It’s not to say that the mainstream won’t embrace location based social networks one day. I’m sure they will. Remember the days when it was unheard of to put your picture on the internet? And now it’s shifted to where it’s normal (almost expected) to use a real picture of yourself as an avatar, as well as post pictures of yourself and your friends. As social networking sites have lifespans, attitudes towards the web and web activity shift. From a marketing perspective, because the mainstream hasn’t embraced location based social networking means businesses should quickly jump at the opportunity to be on these networks. Why? It’s these early adopters who already on these networks that are more likely to talk about you, share tips about your business and pass the word along to their friends.
It's a secret.... pass it on!
