Blogs

Splash Media U President Paul Slack was featured on the April 29 episode of The SocialLight, Deb Krier's weekly social media radio program. Use the player below to listen to the full interview.

About The SocialLight show:

As host of her own radio show, Deb Krier interviews social media influencers, users, and developers. She knows the latest trends, the up and coming changes, as well as the best practices. Deb supplies this knowledge to audiences and private clients so they benefit from having the most current information.

Tune in to Deb on the web on Mile Hi Radio and listen to her in action:

The SociaLight Show
Mondays at 11:00-Noon (Eastern)

Jamie McCook knows how to tackle a new assignment without fear, as she explains in our one-on-one interview with the social media specialist. 

So, tell us, Jamie, what’s your favorite part of working in social media?

JM: I really enjoy getting to see how social media affects our day-to-day lives. Seeing the impact that social media had on the recent tragedies (such as the Boston Marathon bombing and the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas) really opens your eyes to how people in the world work. It's crazy/interesting to see how different parts of the world/country use social media differently.

Fill us in on your day-to-day activities.

JM: Well...the majority of my day consists of being connected to my email to make sure that if anyone needs me I am there to respond quickly. Besides that, I'm strolling the Internet and social sites to find content for my clients and for information to keep me up to date with the latest social media news.

What did you do before you entered the social media arena?

JM: Before joining Splash Media, I worked for Bank of America in the foreclosure division. I was not a big fan of being the one who filed the paperwork to take someone’s home from them—it was depressing.

What do you do in your spare time?

JM: I like to play sports and hang out with friends mostly. During the summer you can usually find me playing sand volleyball during my free time. I also play in softball leagues in the fall. Other than that, I just enjoy spending time with friends and making new memories.

Can you share a social media win or strategy that has worked well with your clients?

JM: Even though it may not be my biggest win, it's definitely the one that sticks with me the most. When I first started as a Social Media Specialist, my Account Manager Dennis told me that we needed to get a contest up and running. He proceeded to tell me to jump on Shortstack to get it set up. I informed him that I had never used Shortstack and didn't know how to do it. He amicably told me to "figure it out" (which I took as him challenging me). CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. I figured it out within the hour and IT WORKED :) I was impressed with myself...and it was nice being able to come back to him, saying I was done and seeing the worry all over his face (until he figured out that I didn't screw it all up).

What are some of your favorite brands to follow through social media?

JM: Mashable, because they always have new, relevant news about our industry. I also enjoy the content that @WomensHealthMag puts out, because it keeps me motivated in my active lifestyle. And I really respect companies like Oreo that use social media so creatively and can depict current events and still keep their brand identity in line.

What's your favorite hashtag?

JM: Surprisingly, I don't think I have a favorite. I use relevant hashtags for my clients, but with my personal Twitter I only really use hashtags for big events and/or randomly to express how I am feeling.

Rhea Thomas is the Blogger Manager at Splash Media and part of the Content Creation and Script Production team at Splash Media U. You can find her on Twitter @TexasRhea.

Successful social media marketing requires your brand to have heart, courage, perspective, and brains. Sound familiar? 

Click here to download the poster.

I don’t know about you, but I really love our learning management system (LMS). It makes navigating through our curriculum easy and allows for great student/instructor one-on-one interaction. However, there is one really big “opportunity for improvement.” Our LMS doesn’t currently have built in ways to allow students to interact with one another or instructors to interact with groups of students. We feel very strongly that this type of engagement is necessary for you to get the most out of your time with us.   This is why we created the LinkedIn group Social Media Training and Best Practices.

This group provides excellent opportunities to connect with fellow Splash Media U students, ask questions, and engage with instructors in a more informal way. You’ll also be able to connect with alumni, Splash Agency clients, and other social media professionals who are interested in our discussions. Think of this LinkedIn Group as the neighborhood college bar down the street (except we don’t have any daily beer specials).

If you haven’t joined the group, get social and join the conversation today. We would love to hear your questions, thoughts and opinions.

Social Media Coordinator Jessica Pittman tells the story of how she started a career in social media. Read on to meet Jessica.

So, tell us, Jessica, what’s your favorite part of working in social media?

JP: I love the ability to connect. Social media gives each person and brand a chance to express themselves through words and images. This allows so many people to connect with each other, the things they love (or hate), and gives our society another means to create a community based on interests and opinions.

“In the long history of humankind those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” -Charles Darwin

Fill us in on your day-to-day activities.

JP: Most days start out with checking e-mails and coffee—lots and lots of coffee. (I am not a morning person). Then I open up my calendar to see what meetings I “should” attend that day. I then continue toward figuring out the things I need to get done—most likely building client communities in all social platforms, finding industry influencers, and monitoring all clients for any type of engagement opportunities. (Sarcasm intended to be humorous, but for clarification, I genuinely LOVE my job!)

What did you do before you entered the social media arena?

JP: Like many other of my Splash Media family members, I attended the bountifully green University of North Texas! I graduated with a double major in Fashion Merchandising and Digital Retailing. I then accepted an internship with a fashion apparel logistics company and moved to the Big Apple following graduation. I was in New York City for a year, when I realized that I would always be a Texas girl. A few months after my return, I accepted a job with Splash Media.

What made you decide to go into social media?

JP: One night while in New York City, I was journaling at Starbucks (yes, I am “one of those” girls who journals and writes as a hobby) and I started asking myself where do I want to be in 10 years? You know, the same question asked during every entry-level job interview. Well, I hadn't considered that question in a while. My passion in life is and always has been building relationships. Whether it was with the Starbucks worker in Denton or in NYC, my boss or the lady who checked me out at Target—I wanted to know their names. So, I started thinking what fields would afford me those kinds of opportunities along with the promise of building a successful and fruitful career. As I was contemplating all of this I received a Facebook notification—and that was it. I realized that the world of communication had evolved from building a relationship across a kitchen table to catching up through a news feed stream. From there, I sought advice from professional mentors who suggested I start interning. So I did just that with a local Dallas media firm until I found my way home to Splash Media.

What do you do in your spare time?

JP: I am a firm believer in working to live and not living to work. My family and friends will always be a key part of who I am as a person and professional; therefore, they receive (mostly) the biggest portion of my time. My family still resides in a small West Texas town, but as most know, as you get older your friends eventually become family. I am very much involved with my church community at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. In fact, I will be going to Honduras this summer as part of the church’s Missions team. Individually, I blog (as said previously) on the side and am also hoping to finish my first book, a personal biography, by late August. I’m an avid runner who loves to work out. I recently developed a slight love obsession with strength training, though my muscles would beg to differ that this obsession is “love” worthy.

Can you share a social media win or strategy that has worked well with your clients?

JP: My job is meant to grow and build each of my clients’ communities, and also build processes that help grow communities on behalf of all Splash Media Agency clients. Identifying key influencers in the clients’ industries and verticals can provide opportunities for community growth, brand awareness, and lasting partnerships within highly active social media environments. These tactics have been put to the test and now have been implemented as a key objective for all of our clients.

What are some of your favorite brands to follow through social media?

JP: My favorite personal brands are Rachel Zoe and a NYC fashion blogger—bryanboycom. I also love watching the creative minds of OREO and the classiness of Louis Vuitton come to life through social.

What's your favorite hashtag?

JP: #change2013… This is my 2013 New Year’s resolution hashtag that I generally attach to all of my social media updates as part of a reminder of what I am working toward.

Rhea Thomas is the Blogger Manager at Splash Media and part of the Content Creation and Script Production team at Splash Media U. You can find her on Twitter @TexasRhea.

When a social media marketing campaign starts hitting roadblocks and becoming stale, even the best social media marketers will acknowledge that it's time to reevaluate goals, refocus the strategy and approach the project with fresh eyes. That's not always easy to do, but the key is to make sure that, whether some elements stay or go, the message of the social media marketing campaign remains prominent in the audience's mind.

A New World of Marketing

Consider this: eMarketer reported in September 2012 that 90 percent of companies would be conducting social media marketing in 2013. So, basically, almost all companies today understand that social media is a vital part of the new world of marketing that we are living in. But how can your message stand out in a corporate world full of noise? When you start to hear your voice getting weaker, that's when you know your social media marketing campaign is on the fritz.

A Fresh Voice: Tips for a Fresh Social Media Marketing Campaign

Keeping your voice fresh in the world of social media marketing is not difficult. Follow these simple tips for freshening up your social media marketing campaign and taking it out of the stale and into the innovative.

1. Examine your existing social media marketing plan. Evaluate your campaign to ensure it aligns with your brand's overall marketing plan.

2. Engage AND interact with your audience. Posting to Facebook is the easy part, but that’s also the least effective. Results come when you actually interact with your audience. Be an active part of the conversation rather than an observer.

3. Don't make it all about you. Audiences can get pretty tired of seeing posts that have only to do with you. They get it; you're awesome. But can you offer something more than self-promotion? Social media is a content-driven medium. Give your audience more than just braggadocio—give them something they can use.

4. Make sure your strategy is consistent throughout all social media channels. You may be concentrating too much on one network and completely ignoring the others. The key is to have a good balance among all social media channels that are relevant to your brand.

5. Make mobile a part of your marketing plan. Pew Internet indicates that 87 percent of Americans own a cellphone, and 45 percent of them own a smartphone. Flurry says that 78 percent of U.S. adults own a smartphone. Regardless of which number you go with, the message is clear: brands not catering to mobile users are missing out.

6. Offer incentives to your audience for tuning in. Whether it's a contest, sweepstakes, or even just recognition for being a fan, audiences love to win stuff—and they love to be a part of something. Get creative and put together some contests or perhaps offer coupons for joining your brand's social network.

7. Incorporate lead generation into your strategy. Add a lead generation element to your strategy. Tweet a link for email sign-up on your website. Share a link to receive information in the mail through a landing page. This is also a great way to measure results.

8. Position yourself as an expert rather than a marketer. People don't want to hear about the things you've done as much as they want to hear about what you know and your expertise. Position yourself as a leading expert in your industry and people will come to you with their business.

9. Measure, measure, measure. Don't let the analytics out of your sight! Make sure that you are checking all results from the various aspects of your social media network.

10. Always be ready to tweak your campaign based on results. Based on the above results, don't be afraid to go back to the drawing board, especially if it feels like a change is necessary to spark success.

Social media marketing campaigns can go stale pretty quickly unless you, as the social media marketer, can come up with ways to make your campaign fresh again. But only the most well-versed marketers know how to do this well. Learn more about becoming a social media marketer by checking out Splash Media U today!

photo credit: Pensiero via photopin cc

In addition to the topics covered in our Live Lecture series, we wanted to give students the opportunity to ask questions about any portion of the certification program or discuss how you’re putting strategies into practice.

Now you can by joining a live 60-minute conference call via Skype on the 1^st Thursday of each month, beginning May 2.  The conference call will begin at 12:30pm Central Time. This is your chance to ask questions about any part of the Splash Media U program, from strategy to tactics to user experience or even ask for help with a specific assignment.

To participate, you’ll need a Skype account. Then follow these instructions:

1. Add the Splash Media U account as a contact; the user name is “splashmediau” and the name is listed as “Paul Slack.”

2. When you click “Add to Contacts” make sure you include in the text box the email address you use to log in to Splash Media U so we know it’s you. We will accept your contact request once we verify you are a Splash Media U student. Check out the example below.

3. When it’s time to join the conference (no earlier than 10 minutes prior to the scheduled time), call the Splash Media U account. The host will add you to the conference call.

4. Once you’re on the call, please mute your microphone and use the chat feature to indicate you have a question. When the moderator calls on you, un-mute your phone and ask your question.  After your question is answered, please re-mute your phone. Having less chatter on the call will make it a better experience for everyone on the call.

If you have any questions about Coach’s Corner, please email support@splashmediau.com. We look forward to talking with you on the next conference call! 

Music and video go together like peanut butter and jelly. They also happen to be significant driving forces in social media. This week we’re covering Twitter’s new affinity for music, new ways to manage YouTube, and LinkedIn’s clear intent to become the go-to place for professional content. Plus, we’re providing you the opportunity to talk directly with us in a Skype conference call. Peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches not provided.

1. Your Voice Heard

We’re opening up the phone lines—or in this case, the Skype lines—for your questions. You’ll have an opportunity to join a live conference call with Splash Media U President Paul Slack via Skype on Thursday, May 2, at 12:30 p.m. Central. Ask questions about any part of the Splash Media U program, from strategy to tactics to user experience, or even ask for help with a specific assignment. Mark your calendars for Coach's Corner and find us on Skype at splashmediau.

2. Twitter #music App

Twitter introduced a music app, appropriately called Twitter #music, that integrates music-related activity into your Twitter experience. With the iOS app or the web version (Android available eventually), you can listen to song samples from popular and emerging artists, or connect to your Rdio or Spotify accounts for full tracks. It’s the next major step by Twitter to keep people on the platform longer, and it will probably work.

3. Mobile Video Views Way Up

Mobile video views were up 300 percent in 2012, and tablets led the charge over phones. According to Adobe’s Digital Video Benchmark report, tablet viewers are more likely to finish watching a particular video versus their phone and PC counterparts. That’s great news for brands that produce video content; however, content providers are still struggling to get viewers to interact with online ads.

4. Connecting Google+ and YouTube

Letting your Google accounts talk to each other has its advantages. In this case, we mean Google+ and YouTube. Besides the presumed SEO boost from “telling” Google about how you’re using its products, linking a YouTube channel with a Google+ account during this initial beta test phase includes certain perks, which you can read all about on the YouTube Creators blog.

5. LinkedIn Acquires Pulse

LinkedIn’s mission is clear: become the go-to destination for professionally minded content and its distribution. With LinkedIn Today and Influencers, the platform has already staked a claim in publishing content produced by thought leaders, so it makes perfect sense that they would bring a leading news reader like Pulse into the fold. For current Pulse users, the apps will remain the same for now, but look for exciting changes soon.

Looking for more social media training? In addition to Splash Media U’s recorded video lessons covering specific topics, we also have live events, including new student orientation and lectures. These real-time programs connect students directly with instructors, who offer relevant, in-depth material to put into practice. The live format provides a more personal learning environment and a chance for students to ask questions and get immediate feedback.

The lectures start at 10:00 a.m. Central Time every Tuesday, and we offer four rotating lectures each month on the following schedule:

Campaign Management - 1st Tuesday of Each Month

Campaign Management includes on-boarding a new client and regular account management tasks and techniques for maximizing client retention and ROI. Learn about keeping up with a content schedule, client communication, and interacting with a business's customers.

Social Media ROI - 2nd Tuesday of Each Month

Understanding and measuring social media ROI isn't as daunting as it sounds. In fact, there are many more ways to calculate the impact of your online strategy than most other marketing methods. Learn how set realistic expectations and deliver meaningful, comprehensive metrics on your campaigns.

Tactical Wheel - 3rd Tuesday of Each Month

The Tactical Wheel is our instructional technique that ties all of the lessons back to core social media building blocks: Listening, Building Community, Broadcasting, Content, and Conversion. In this lecture, learn more about each piece and examples of how they span all social media interactions.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - 4th Tuesday of Each Month

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the backbone of a successful content strategy because it signals to sites like Google, Bing, and Yahoo - and therefore potential customers - that your content is valuable and worth reading. This lecture reinforces what comprises a solid SEO plan and how to implement it.

Instructions:

If you’d like to join a live lecture so you can interact directly with the instructor, use the link on each lecture page that says “Click here to join us live.” That will take you to the page shown below. From there, make sure “Enter as a Guest” is selected, and enter your name in the field below. This does not have to be your student user name. Then to proceed and join the live event, click “Enter Room.”

As a student, you always have access to archive versions of these lectures. Simply click on the video window resembling the one below as you do for regular course lessons.

We look forward to seeing you in the chat room for our lectures! Stay in touch and let us know if you have any questions about any portion of the program.