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Hey Man Nice Shot (33 1/3 Single)
Reprise Records
1995
This is one of my favorite records from the 90s, complete with retro-60s-looking cover art!
Don’t Just Tweet Your Booth Number
Tweeting your booth number = Junk Content
You know it’s getting close to the big annual conference in your industry when every supplier starts Tweeting their booth number.
My team, colleagues, and friends are gearing up for #IFA2016 from the International Franchise Association and we’re seeing it all over the place.
These companies don’t share anything all year then suddenly think, “Hey it’s nearly convention time. Now what was that Twitter password…?”
They’ll log into Twitter to let the world know they’ll be at booth #123. Oh and they’re giving away an iPad, because everyone will flock to the booth for that. And then they’ll go silent for another 11½ months.
Twitter is dying my friends. And it’s mostly because of junk content like that.
If Not The Booth Number, Then What?
A few weeks ago, my Social Geek Radio co-host Deb Evans and I discussed some other things to share on social that might give some more value to your fellow conference-goers. Here are a few from our podcast:
- Share details on a speaker you’re looking forward to hearing.
- Post about a topic that’s on the agenda and get an engaging conversation going ahead of time. (This is what I like to do most)
- Ask who else is en route and suggest meeting for coffee and chat. (This is what I need to do more of myself!)
- If you’re familiar with the location, share items about the history, food, entertainment, transportation, or anything else out-of-towners might find interesting. (Deb is great at this)
But What About That Booth We’re Paying For?
Can you slide in a mention or two of your promotion? Absolutely! But I always suggest your social content be at least 80% about OTHERS and at most 20% about YOU. So after 4 or 5 updates on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook about the conference or other people participating, go ahead and share something about your promotion, contest, giveaway, or trade show activity. As long as this isn’t the only thing you’re pushing out, it’s cool.
I’ll be Tweeting a couple of booth numbers later this week for the IFA Convention myself, to let anyone interested in the Social Geek Radio podcast know where they can join us live. In fact, I’ll post it now! We’ll be at the Manalto booth (#461) on Sunday 2/21 and at the 1851 Franchise booth (#134) on Monday 2/22. Now that that’s done, it’s back to more posts about Others. See you at the show!
TBT Vinyl: Cheap Trick, At Budokan
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick At Budokan
1979
Epic Records
There are no grooves left on this particular piece of vinyl that I bought when I was 11 years old.
TBT Vinyl: AC/DC, Back In Black
AC/DC
Back In Black
Atlantic Records
1980
My notes on this record: it’s perfect. That is all.
Facebook Live Mic Drop
I’m not sure if Facebook just dropped a mic or a bomb on Periscope and Meerkat. Facebook Live is replacing every cool feature of those live streaming mobile video apps with the friendly space where most people you can hope to know already live.
If you still think that Facebook isn’t eating the internet, think again. Here’s the recent scorecard:
Facebook Features Platforms That Were Important 5 Minutes Ago
Facebook Live Periscope, Meerkat
Native Video on Facebook YouTube
Facebook Reviews Yelp and all other review sites
Facebook Pages Your corporate website
Facebook Instant Articles Every newspaper and magazine on Earth
Facebook Ads Everything else
TBT Vinyl: Eric Burdon And The Animals, Eric Is Here
Eric Burdon and the Animals
Eric Is Here
MGM Records
1966
This is actually an Eric Burdon solo record produced between the original Animals and the second incarnation, Eric Burdon and the Animals.
10 Social Media Tips for Conference Attendance
This post was originally published by my friend and Social Geek Radio co-host, Deb Evans on her website at DebEvansConsulting.com. Deb does an amazing job for her clients telling their story and connecting them with mass audiences especially at industry events and marketing & technology conferences.
Registration to attend a conference is just the first step. If you really want to take advantage of the learning experience and relationships you will develop, follow the social marketing strategies below to spotlight your attendance and generate an awareness of your company.
Before Attendance
Review the registration list and connect with attendees social platforms. Do they have a Twitter handle? Using Instagram? Do they have a Facebook business page? Promote the event as you are coordinating your attendance, sessions you plan to attend, speakers you are anxious to hear and people you want to reconnect with.
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
- Use the event hashtag.
- Promote the speakers. Share information about the speakers and what you hope to learn. Remember to tag the speaker and include links for more information.
- Follow the host organization. Like and share their posts to your social channels.
- Tweet tidbits about the upcoming event and your attendance.
During Attendance
Engagement
Make your attendance about what you are learning and who you are meeting. Not everyone can attend so capture the moments and share!
- Live Tweet what you are learning. Remember to tag speakers.
- Post photos to Instagram of the crowd of attendees, trade show displays, speakers, and the host city.
- Live stream (Periscope, Meerkat, Facebook Mentions). Give a tour of the host city. Capture the excitement of the trade show. Conduct interviews. Live stream presentations.
After Attendance
Continue the engagement
- Create a LinkedIn Slideshare of photos, videos and upload your presentation if you were a presenter.
- Establish a Twitter list of attendees and speakers and engage with list members.
- Use Storify to turn tweets, photos, and videos into stories.
I always look forward to conferences and conventions and the opportunity to share the experiences. If the tips above are more than you or your team can handle, contact me!
TBT Vinyl: The Allman Brothers Band, Live at the Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
Live at the Fillmore East
1971
Capricorn
The original extended jam live album! “Whipping Post” alone was 22 minutes!
The Fate of Email: Who Is Reading It?
A long time ago in a place far away, the phone rang and you answered it. You actually ran to the phone. Then came answering machines, which took away the peril of running to the phone. Then came caller ID, which filtered out any unwanted conversation. Now every phone has a big red DECLINE button and it’s amazing that anyone ever answers your call.
Your email is now in the same danger. 15 years ago people were excited to hear “you got mail,” read it, and dashed off a reply immediately. Now they see most email as some fresh hell that will steal their time .
If you’re using tracking software to see the open rates of your emails, you are amazed at the number of people who just don’t open any email. If you’re not using tacking software, let me quite bluntly update your on your email effectiveness right now:
Did they get the email? Yeah, they got it.
Did they open it? Probably not.
Will they reply? Probably not, unless they need something from you!
Mass email marketing service providers will tell you that email is still the most important and efficient way to get your message to your audience, customers, and other consumers. But will it actually be read?
Here are a few tips to increase the likelihood of your message being read:
- Make your email like a text. Put the entire question in the subject line. It can be read on any phone, so even if they don’t open, they will see your message. If they don’t respond, then that’s another issue.
- If you do put your question or request in the body of an email, don’t make it any more than 2 or 3 sentences. That’s all that will be read anyway.
- Use tracking software to see which of your colleagues never open your emails. For those culprits, you will need to text them, or perhaps even pick up the phone and surprise them!
TBT Vinyl: David Bowie, Let’s Dance
David Bowie
Let’s Dance
EMI Records
1983
In a week of everyone sharing David Bowie memories, here’s my favorite Bowie LP. It’s not the favorite of the critics or many fans. But it’s top of my list due to the the album’s guitarist: Stevie Ray Vaughan!
Social Geek Blog 