Mar 2012
06

Reminder: #HootUpLA is March 7, 2012!

See more Blogging, Social Media, Technology

HootSuite, social networking and beer. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Wednesday evening in Los Angeles!

#HootUpLA will be taking place this Wednesday, March 7th from 7-9PM at Blankspaces LA in the Miracle Mile district at 5405 Wilshire Boulevard; Los Angeles, CA 90036. The entrance is on Cloverdale and there is plenty of street parking available.

We have an exciting lineup of speakers on Wednesday night starting with Cheryl Booker (Senior Account Executive – Consumer Insights) of Hall & Partners. She will be talking about How to Strengthen Your Social Media Strategy through Quantifying Online Buzz. Dewayne Hankins, Director, Digital Media with the Los Angeles Kings is our featured keynote speaker. He will be talking about how the Kings use HootSuite to manage their social media portfolio on an international scale.

#HootUpLA is a free event to attend. If you work in social media, would love to work in social media or are just a fan of HootSuite, come on down for a night of great speakers, networking and beer.

RSVP to #HootUpLA here.

Have a question about the event or need more information? Contact me.

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Feb 2012
06

3 Tips for Creating an Engaging Video for YouTube

See more Social Media, Uncategorized, Video

The world is consuming video content on their smartphones and tablet devices at an exponential rate. The time to integrate video into your business model is becoming increasingly important. YouTube now reports that there are four billion videos being watched every day.

Creating video content that is dynamic and shareable can help reach a new medium of potential business prospects. However, the days of poorly-lit, “shaky-cam” videos are over. It’s time to take YouTube and your potential audience seriously. Here’s a couple of tips to doing just that:

Know Your Content – No matter what kind of video you create, knowing what you’re talking about is key. Viewers are looking to you to tell a story or gain insight. So make sure you know your subject inside and out.

You don’t need to go “live to tape”. You have as many chances as you need to create a compelling video on YouTube. If you have experience speaking in front of people, draw up a detailed outline and stick to it. Going off on a tangent is fine if you’re Gary Vaynerchuk but, for most, you’re just going to sound lost. If you don’t have a lot of experience on camera or speaking in front of an audience, write a script and memorize it.

Production Value is Key – I cannot stress the importance of having a good picture, sound and light when shooting a video for YouTube. You don’t need Steven Spielberg or a production crew to accomplish this. If you’ve bought a cell phone in the last two years, chances are it has a camera that shoots in Hi Definition. Get a tripod to keep it stable so there’s no shake. If you don’t have access to a microphone, shoot your video in a quiet environment. Finally, have some light on your face. There’s nothing worse than a dark room with only the light of your computer on your face. It’s grainy and it looks terrible. Put yourself in a well-lit room with little distractions in the background. Make sure to play back your video first to make sure everything looks good. I use the Canon EOS Rebel T2i (affiliate link) to shoot my videos and the picture is great.

Leverage Memes – It doesn’t matter what kind of business you’re running, it can always benefit from a bit of fun. What’s the latest meme here in February of 2012? Sh*t (Fill in the Blank) Say. There are countless variations of this meme and video views are in the tens of thousands. We created Sh*t LA Kings Fans Don’t Say for our LA Kings video show and we received 12,000 views in under two weeks. My producing partner Chris shot Sh*t Moms Say and I’m sure that video will triple the views we had for the Kings niche (it was just posted prior to this blog being published). Leveraging a meme is an easy way to get thousands of views and drive traffic to your YouTube channel or your web page in a short period of time.

Are you creating original content for YouTube? What are you doing to keep your viewers engaged?

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Jan 2012
30

#HootUpLA is March 7, 2012

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Join us for the first #HootUp in Los Angeles, CA on March 7, 2012 from 7:30-9:30PM!

#HootUpLA is a free networking event for HootSuite users of any experience level to learn, interact and socialize. We’ll be getting together in an office loft right in the heart of Los Angeles, crack a beer or two and listen to some HootSuite professionals talk about their experience using HootSuite to manage their social media presence. Afterward, there will be plenty of time to mingle, talk shop and make new friends.

#HootUpLA will begin at 7:30pm. Our featured keynote speaker is Dewayne Hankins, Director, Digital Media with the Los Angeles Kings. In his role with the Kings, Hankins oversees the Club’s digital efforts, which include LAKings.com, the team’s social media and mobile strategy and all digital marketing. In his first year with Los Angeles, the Kings were No. 1 in the NHL in Facebook growth, as the team saw a 654% increase in page “likes.”

#HootUpLA will be held at Blankspaces LA – 5405 Wilshire Boulevard; Los Angeles, CA 90036. The entrance is on Cloverdale and there is plenty of street parking available.

RSVP for #HootUPLA here.

Any questions? Go ahead and contact me.

We want #HootUpLA to be a fantastic event. So, if you talk about it on your social networks, please use the hashtag #HootUpLA. We’ll keep you updated with more details as they become available. See you on March 7!

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Jan 2012
05

#HootUp Los Angeles

See more Social Media

I am a big fan of HootSuite (affiliate link). It helps me manage and measure my social accounts for clients. It keeps me organized and produces very effective reports. In short, I’m quickly becoming a brand advocate.

As I was scanning through their blog I noticed that a wide variety of professionals around the world have been hosting something called a #HootUp. Living in Los Angeles, there is a wide array of meetups and networking events for any digital marketing professional to attend. Some are good and some are not so good.

Which is why I have decided to organize #HootUpLA – a networking event for HootSuite professionals and users in Los Angeles. I think this will be a tremendous opportunity to exchange ideas, meet new people and make business contacts. As I do some work behind the scenes to get this #HootUp organized, I invite anyone and everyone to contact me. I’ll be looking for co-organizers, speakers and, of course, attendees. The event will be free to anyone interested. So shoot me an email or leave any thoughts, questions and ideas in the comments.

I look forward to meeting you soon!

HootSuite - Social Media Dashboard

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Dec 2011
29

Product Review: Jawbone Up

See more Fitness, Reviews

The fitness market is starting to explode once again. There is a myriad of devices and apps that can track your fitness and nutrition goals. Communities have been created where people can share their progress and track their results. Fitness and nutrition have become globally social.

My first foray into something like this was Nike+. However, as much as I like to run to warm up, I’m not a runner. Nike partnered with Apple to create Nike+ and it’s fantastic for runners. It doesn’t track nutrition but it is a very cool product.

Enter Jawbone Up. I’ve had Up on my list since Jawbone CEO Hosain Rahman first announced it. Jawbone describes the Up as: “…a revolutionary system (wristband + iPhone app) that tracks your daily activity and inspires you to live healthier.”

Jawbone Up tracks how you move, eat and sleep. I have used the device for a week now with less-than-stellar results. Here’s my full review of the Jawbone Up:
[Read more...]

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