Encore Speaks!

On Saturday I had the chance to attend the New Media Dayton event at the Pub at the Greene. I was thrilled to re-connect with friends and acquaintances that I had not seen since the holidays and we shared laughter and some funny stories about our various holiday experiences. There was still work to be done, though, as New Media Dayton had asked an outside team to join us to talk about their own organizational skills and processes and to motivate us to take a new look at our own. Lori Firsdon and Barb Warner, two amazingly powerful motivational speakers and professional organizers, were right on the money as they addressed the topic of organization. They brought to our attention, all of us media and technology addicts, what the concept of organization means in our world. They weren't shy about asking us to put down our cell phones, flip cameras and laptops while they spoke ... and I commend them for that as many of us didn't want to loosen the grip on our electronic devices. When Lori and Barb finally had our attention, they hit on some heavy topics such as how much money we are actually costing our employers when we perform a search for just one hour, each day of the year. Their staggering statistics and reality check really made me, and I hope others there as well, wake up to the fact that time spent searching for everything from my car keys and cell phone to a folder that I thought I had filed away is costing everyone, not just me, time and money.

Lori and Barb also touched upon the topic of "that co-worker" who habitually steals your time with pointless and aimless conversation. Simple fixes such as how you position your desk and removing any candy, pictures or plaques that might keep a person lingering for conversation are just some of the ways you can keep interruptions to a minimum so you can concentrate on your work and work flow. Simply asking oneself and gently asking co-workers, "can this wait?" not only helps you prioritize your time, but sends the message that some conversations and topics don't really need to be discussed at work amid the hustle and bustle of work flow.

Finally, Lori and Barb hit upon something which is personally difficult for me ... wading through the countless articles and publications that are subject-specific to my field. Any person in social media or any other information-oriented position will tell you that every day they are constantly bombarded with emails, alerts and notifications. With all of this content filling up our inboxes, it is hard to read each and every word that is sent our way. Barb’s solution to that overwhelming feeling when get when you receive massive amounts of information? "Stop queuing up the small minutes.” Start by initially weeding out the mass amounts of useless information and focus on what is important and pertinent right then. Specifically ask yourself "can this wait?" or "am I really going to use this information?" before taking the plunge.

Not only did I find both Lori and Barb to be fascinating as professionals, but their approach was realistic and sensitive to our needs. Even I, who I thought was somewhat organized, learned a lot. And take it from them: they have seven kids between the two of them, so organization isn’t just their jobs, it’s their lives!

Mobile phones, social networks and Thanksgiving

This is an eventful week! Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up at the beginning of next week. With all of these exciting and potentially stressful days coming up, social media and your mobile can do a few things for you.

1. Social Media, Thanksgiving and Stress Relief: YES, social media can be used as a means to relieve stress. Just think, when your mother is sternly asking you to keep the 10+ screaming little ones out of the kitchen while the turkey is being carved, put ice in all of the glasses, plus find out what everyone wants to drink, set the table, round up the guys from playing football outside and put the two barking dogs in their cages, what will you do? I say, pull out your mobile and tell your Facebook and Twitter friends exactly how you feel...overwhelmed.

The thing is that we ALL get stressed out during the holiday season, no matter what our role is. Take a few minutes to lock yourself in the bathroom or god forbid, your highschool bedroom, and take a minute to see what everyone else in your network is saying. I'm almost positive that they will be just as overwhelmed as you are or worse. By taking a few minutes to share your thoughts with your network, it may make you feel a little bit more like you are on your normal schedule and not in family-crisis mode. Just remember to take a deep breath in and write what you are feeling, BUT remember to not say anything that you wouldn't say to someone's face or you would regret later! I HIGHLY stress this and you have now been warned!

2. Social Media and Black Friday/Cyber Monday: This year, and maybe even next, social media platforms and networks are THE place to go to get great deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you aren't sure where to go, simply jump on your Twitter or Facebook account and search for "Black Friday". Something will pop up whether it is a list of Black Friday specific accounts or special deals.

In a preliminary search that I just conducted, I found one website that listed over 16,000 deals for Friday! Companies included were Best Buy, Macys, Bath and Body Works, etc. http://www.black-friday.net/

In addition, if you are wanting more specialized company discounts and mark-downs for the upcoming shopping weekend, go to each company's profile. If you are looking for a Panasonic LCD, then head over to Panasonic's Facebook or Twitter page. I'm sure they have something listed. A few other key companies that are utilizing social networks for this weekend are Apple, Wal-Mart, Target, Kohls, K-Mart and others. Specialized games such as Call of Duty are being displayed on networks as well. So, no matter what gift you are shopping for, you are surely able to find it with the help of social networks.

Finally, once you have calmed down from the stress of this week and are at your local Best Buy trying to decide what TV has a better product review over another, simply pull out your mobile and do a product search. See, smart phones and social networks are really here to help make your life and your Thanksgiving week go much smoother.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Teens text while driving...Duh!

A recent article by William Hershey from the Dayton Daily News caught my eye as it highlighted the amount of teenagers that are texting while driving. Now, come on. Most of us text while driving, whether we are teenagers or not...and we know it's bad, but we still have that need to be connected in any way possible. Whether we are cutting off grandma or doing a rolling stop, we simply have to get the text out.

However, the article provided some figures that I would like to share.

More than 1 in 3 (34%) of texting teens ages 16-17 text while driving.
48% of 12-17 year olds say they have been in a car while the driver was texting.
75% ages 12-17 own a cell phone.
52% 16-17 year old cell phone owners talk on a cell phone while driving.
40% of 12-17 year olds have been in the car while the driver was on a phone.

So my question becomes: whr do u c ths goin n a yr? Hghr #s? Dunno...w8 n c.

Social Media People: Wake up!

If you are like me in any way, you are constantly on your computer, phone or even stealing your friend's phone to get a quick blurb in on your social networks. It becomes an addiction, and HELLO people, a new way to communicate.

However, I want to stress that it's not just about posting. There's much more to social media than that. It's about the engagement, the content, the origionality, authenticity, trustworthiness and oh, did I say content?

Content is what is going to get your viewers invovlved. Wether it's from YouTube through video engagement or from talking about a new breakfast meal that is easy, fun and your kids will love before going to school, which appeals to moms across the United States. Hence, it can ALL be relevant.

So I say "Wake up!" to all the "social media gurus" that simply utilize one network over another...Twitter especially. I encourage you to expand your horizons, think outside of the Twitter craze (which will implode in T minus a few months), Facebook craze, whatever, and think broadly. Think of exactly WHERE social media is going and where it's been. Start thinking of how you can incorporate social media into both your personal and professional lives? What can you do to grow your network? What exactly IS your network?

These are simple questions that the social media guru and user should know. If you don't - WAKE UP! Drink some coffee (may I recommend Starbucks Extra Bold) and start doing your homework. Now is the time to act!

The point: It's always better to be an early adopter than a laggard.

Geolocation

An interesting article from the NY Times was nothing short of "on target" for the upcoming Twitter craze. It seems that because Twitter is SO overconsumed by tweets about subjects from Ft. Hood to the latest television episode, these tweets are becoming too jumbled. As I had predicted...

Twitter will possibly start it's own geolocation which will allow for more targeted conversations, just enough to sift through the ads and promotions. The interesting concept of geolcation, from Cohen's perspective, is that it will "have the potential to make the Internet suddenly relevant to society as it is lived, not just relevant to what happens online"(NYT, 2009).

The element of too much information, too little privacy and just too much public is becoming the sole issue here. What to do next... To put it simply, the new private is the new public.

New Media Event tomorrow

Friends,

Tomorrow there will be a New Media social at the Pub over in the Greene which will focus on social media, strategy, implementation, marketing and networking. Oh, and you can enjoy a nice beer during the session.

I will be attending this shin-dig in hopes to meet new people and experience some real life social media at it's best: a bunch of social media gurus/novices that are interested in the same subject and who heard about the event through the channels of social media.

If you are able, it will be a great event to attend as social media in Dayton and Cincinnati has been in the ground-breaking stage as far as development.

Starts: Saturday November 14, 2009, 04:00PM
Ends: Saturday November 14, 2009, 07:00PM
Event Type: Networking/Meetup
Location: The Pub at The Greene
39 Greene Blvd
Beavercreek, OH 45440 US
Price:
Website: http://tinyurl.com/ld2v8x
Industry: internet
Keywords: New Media Dayton, meetup, The Pub, social media, New Media Cincinnati, The Greene, Beavercreek, Ohio, Daniel Johnson Jr., Twitter, tweetup
Intended For: Social Media Consultant, Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, Communications, Journalist, Editor, Reporter, Business Owner, CEO, President
Organization: New Media Dayton

New Media Dayton's first simultaneous event held in conjunction with New Media Cincy's monthly event. Free WiFi and live video feed from our friends in Cincinnati.

November Topic: Social Media -- Best practices / ideas / experiments for 2009.

All levels of social media users welcome. Share your experiences with others, meet new friends, network, learn from others and have fun!

Cheers and bottoms up!

BGH Interview

I'm not sure if everyone was able to see the viral video we made of our Interview process, but here it is. It's real, ok? That's exactly what we had to go through to get hired on in this joint.

Anyway, our Video/film producer and Art Director are featured in this piece and have more interesting concepts in their little creative heads. Stay tuned for more exciting and quick snapshots of what we can do.

Here's a link to the video if you haven't checked it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAyYqqa3kSE

If you get the chance to watch it, let us know what you think. We're all ears. And naturally, mine are big.