Marketing Melodie Speaks: Veterinary Specialty Hospital Symposium

I’m always honored to speak and teach social media to professionals who are eager to learn and continue their education in order to be more successful in both growing their business and connecting with their customers. This Sunday, May 19th, 2013 I have the pleasure of teaching social media to a new audience. I’m hosting a social media workshop that’s part of the 3rd Annual Veterinary Specialty Hospital Symposium called: Social Media Branding for your Veterinary Business.

The audience will be comprised of professionals in the veterinary industry who work tirelessly to help our animal friends. The event is located at the University of San Diego campus and is open to anyone who works in the industry or who may be interested in the topics presented to veterinarians.  I have presented and hosted events at USD before. The campus is beautiful so I’m happy to return. You can still register here. 

I look forward to speaking in front of this group because I know they are all passionate about what they do and because it makes me happy to see so many industries understanding and embracing social media. If you are interested in having me speak at your next event, please contact me via my speaking page for rates and availability. More recently I have been presenting to Fitness and Yoga professionals since I’ve combined my passions for marketing and yoga into my career but I am open to speaking to any group interested in learning about the benefits of social media and how using it strategically can businesses grow and connect with customers.

Thank You San Diego for an Amazing Foursquare Day Celebration #4SqDaySD

Foursquare Day San Diego is just wrapping up and the 2013 event was bigger and better than ever! The true spirit of Foursquare was definitely in the air. I have been hosting Foursquare Day events for the past 3 years. This year I partnered with @DowntownRob, Stephanie from i.d.e.a, Melonie from Fandom Marketing and the Social Media Club.

The night started out with Foursquare Education by my friends over at Matters of Grey, Chaunce Dolan and Andy Morales. Matters of Grey is the best resource on the web for finding out about how to unlock Foursquare Badges! They taught us everything we needed to know about Foursquare. I definitely learned new tips on how to use Foursquare on a personal level and for business. If you missed the Foursquare Education portion of the event, no worries. You can find all the slides here.

After learning, we worked up a big appetite just in time to start the Foursquare Day Crawl! The idea behind the Foursquare Crawl was to get people checking in throughout the night and rewarding them for doing so. We walked over to Po Pazzo, checked in and started the night started off with mouthwatering appetizers.

The next check in on the Foursquare Day Crawl was Zia’s Bistro. Everyone enjoyed a nice glass of wine and more delicious  appetizers.

Our last check in was Cafe Zucchero. They generously awarded us with any dessert from their dozens of choices for checking in. Their desserts are delectable. If I’m ever in the mood for dessert, I will definitely be coming back here! We also had a nice area reserved for us in the back to relax, mingle and enjoy the rest of the night.

Throughout the evening I got to catch up with my social media friends, met some awesome new connections, gave away limited Foursquare Day 2013 water bottles and made people winners by giving out gift cards to various restaurants in San Diego. It was an amazing night with the best company.

A special thank you goes out to the Bussalachi Family Restaurants for their extremely generous food, wine and dessert contribution to our event. They had superb customer service at every location and all of f their food was spectacular. Our partnership with them couldn’t have been made possible without our friends Stephanie, Gary and Beth from the i.d.e.a team.

Also, thank you to Dining Out San Diego and Islands Restaurants for donating raffle prizes. Last but not least, thank you to every single person who attended the event to celebrate Foursquare Day! This geek holiday is made possible by social media and all of the savvy people who use it so thank you San Diego for an amazing Foursquare Day celebration! See you next year on 4/16!

 

More Foursquare Day San Diego photos are posted on the Marketing Melodie Facebook page.

Digital Media Now for Yogis is back at Bird Rock Yoga on May 4th, 2013

I’m excited to be hosting the first Digital Media Now for Yogis Workshop of 2013 in just a few weeks at the lovely Bird Rock Yoga in Pacific Beach. This is a gorgeous studio in an amazing environment, just steps away from the ocean! Many people have asked me when the next Digital Media Now for Yogis was happening since my 2 events last year at La Jolla Yoga Center and Chula Vista Yoga Center. Well, I’m happy to say that your next opportunity to attend and learn how to grow your yoga business is on May 4th, 2013 from 12:30pm-2:30pm. All the details and how to register are below.

Workshop Topic:  Personal Branding on Social Media- With an abundance of digital technologies available to us, it’s easy to become overwhelmed when creating your own marketing strategy. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to navigate digital marketing and social media tools such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to attract more clients, grow your business and be a valuable resource in your industry.

• Date: Saturday May 4th, 2013
• Time: 12:30pm-2:30pm
• Cost: $39, $29 if you are a graduate of Bird Rock Yoga’s Teacher Training program
• Location: Bird Rock Yoga- 910 Grand Avenue Suite 206, San Diego, CA 92109
• Register: Click HERE to sign up and reserve your spot 

Takeaways:

• Actionable content and tips you can implement immediately to start marketing yourself as a yoga professional
• Knowledge on how to serve as a trusted subject matter expert and resource in yoga
• Understanding on how to use Social Media tools to create a compelling brand

About Melodie: Melodie Tao is a Marketing Consultant, Educator and an International Professional Speaker specializing in Digital Marketing and Social Media. She is also a Certified Yoga Instructor who has completed over 200 hours training. Combing her two passions for Marketing and Yoga, her mission is to empower others with knowledge on how to live their passion as a Yoga and Fitness professional. Her expertise will help you make money from your business through optimizing your brand and online presence while maintaining your true integrity as a Yogi.

It is recommended that attendees bring a laptop. If a laptop isn’t available, please bring a notepad and pen. Also if you attended a previous Digital Media Now for Yogis event you are encouraged to return as the workshop has been updated to reflect the continuously changing landscape of social media. You will definitely learn something new!

I recently published a post sharing my actionable steps on manifesting wealth and abundance through my passions. This workshop is putting me one step closer. If you run a yoga teacher training program and are interested in having this valuable program as part of your training, please let me know and I’m happy to discuss more details with you. I look forward to seeing you at Bird Rock Yoga in a few weeks and remember to reserve your spot by registering in advance HERE.

~NAMASTE~

Check In at Foursquare Day San Diego on April 16th, 2013 #4sqdaysd

I am thrilled to be hosting Foursquare Day San Diego for my third year in a row (My fourth year hosting Foursquare Day  in general since the first year I was in Hong Kong and hosted the event overseas). I’m excited to see everyone and meet new Foursquare friends on my favorite geek holiday! Two years ago, I enjoyed delicious apps, wine tasting and check in special drinks with you all at Foursquare Day San Diego at R Gang Eatery. Last year we got the community involved at Foursquare Day San Diego at Osetra where we raffled off fun prizes for checking in and enjoyed delicious food and drinks from the restaurant. This year Foursquare Day San Diego is back and will be bigger and better than ever.

As always, Foursquare Day is on 4/16! (4th month; 4 squared=16). This year it falls on a Tuesday evening. Myself and @DowntownRob from Downtownrob.com have been hosting this event the past couple years and this year, we have joined forces with Stephanie Garcia of  i.d.e.a, Melonie Gallegos of Fandom Marketing and Social Media Club San Diego, with sponsorship from the Busalacchi family of restaurants.

This is a free event and this year we’re making the features of Foursquare come to life by adding a Check in Crawl so you can experience a few different venues and check in at each to earn rewards and win prizes. The night begins with a Foursquare Education workshop, then the Check In Crawl and mingle at the end. Meet new friends, check in with your online connections in real life and enjoy fine wine and delicious appetizers along the way. 

• Start the night off by learning more about Foursquare at the Social Media Club San Diego Educational Workshop, 5:30-6:30pm. This workshop is a paid event (the rest of the activities are free), for tickets and details visit: http://thesocialhour.eventbrite.com/

Then let’s have fun at the Foursquare San Diego Foursquare Check In Crawl:

• Po Pazzo – Check in here between 7:00 to 7:30pm and sample some delicious appetizers
• Zia’s Bistro – Check in here between 7:40 to 8:10pm and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine
• Trattoria Fantastica/Cafe Zucchero- Check in here between 8:20 to 10:00pm to end the night at our Foursquare mix and mingle and enjoy a sweet dessert
• Please note you can join us at the crawl any time! If you miss the crawl, no worries, we’re meeting at the end for the Foursquare mix and mingle. We’ll be raffling off fun prizes for checking in at each venue. (Must be present to win.)
  

  Foursquare Day San Diego 2012 Crowd at Osetra

We discourage drinking and driving therefore, all venues are within walking distance in beautiful Little Italy.  There are also a few other ways to get involved in this year’s event:

•  Last year I shared a list of San Diego’s best Foursquare Specials of 2012. The specials are constantly changing so I need your help coming up with a new list for 2013. What are you favorite Foursquare specials in San Diego? Please share them in the comments below and your suggestion may be added to the list.
  
• We need raffle prizes! If your company would like to donate a prize, please let me know. Our Foursquare Day San Diego team will make sure you get the recognition you deserve.

RSVP to the event on Facebook here. When tweeting about the event and checking in on Foursquare use the hashtag: #4sqdaySD – you can also add the international hashtag: #4sqday. Feel free to follow my Foursquare updates in the meantime here. I look forward to checking in with you all very soon!

Top 5 Things I learned from the Online Marketing Summit 2013 #OMSummit

I’m happy to be back at the Online Marketing Summit this year in sunny San Diego. I’ve been attending this conference as an avid learner since 2008 so it is great to see how much it has grown and connect with so many  industry leaders.  There’s no denying that in addition to the amazing content you’ll learn and connections you’ll make, the gorgeous sunny San Diego view is a big draw. I love meeting people who are traveling here from across the nation but I’m also grateful that I can proudly call San Diego my home when asked the ever so popular question, “Where are you from?”

I often get asked by people how I stay up to date with the latest changes in social media and technology. The answer is that I’m constantly open to learning and constantly seeking opportunities to expand my knowledge and network. Part of how I learn is by sharing, speaking and teaching others. I find that when I’m talking to others, or even writing, I often catch myself saying things that I need to implement myself. Thus in an effort to learn and teach, I’m thrilled to share with you all the top 5 things I learned from the Online Marketing Summit 2013.

1. ROI is complex, not just one number or a perfect algorithm- This is a takeaway I got from today’s afternoon keynote, Heidi Melin. It’s something very important for marketing professionals to keep in mind when we work with clients. Many people who want to start using social media to grow their business, automatically assume that the ROI can be easily measured. They want a quick fix and they want to see a direct ROI immediately. The challenge with social media and many other online marketing tools is that they are not designed to to be a quick fix. An investment in your online marketing and social media will ensure a stronger brand image, help you grow a loyal following and over time will ensure your business continues to thrive. This is something that marketeers need to understand so they can effectively explain it to clients. This is also something business owners need to understand so they can make a smart investment in their social media without freaking out if they don’t see a significant revenue increase as soon as their social media campaign is launched.

2. Easily find discussions about a keyword or phrase people may be searching for when they are interested in your service- I learn something new every day and this is one of my favorite tricks I learned today from Arnie Kuenn’s talk about creating blog content. By doing a Google search under discussions you can easily discover people asking questions and seeking advice for challenges you many easily be able to solve with your product or service. Simply take your keyword phrase and do a Google search. Scroll to the right of the navigation bar and under “More” click on “Discussions”. This will show you all the places people are talking about you. Long tail searches are the key to success in this case. There is a lot you can do with this data. You can create blog content that answers many questions people are asking and you can also directly reach out to people and let them know you are available to help. The more you understand what questions about being asked, the easier it is for you to respond and be a true resource.

 

3. Brand your laptop- I’ve seen this done before, but it really stood out to me today. What a great way to increase visibility for your brand on something that you’re always using. This is also great if you’re speaking and giving a presentation with your laptop. The audience has a constant reminder of who you are. I asked Chris from Wider Funnel where he got his custom laptop sticker and he couldn’t remember the company. Does anyone know of a company that can do this for me?

4. Some of the best networking happens during lunch- Many of you are so busy that you barely have time to attend a conference. Every moment that you’re not in a session,  you get back to work.  You return phone calls,  you find a quiet place to return emails and you skip lunch. Don’t skip lunch! Some of the best connections are made during lunch because people aren’t distracted by sessions. You have an opportunity to talk to people on a more personal level and people are more likely to be friendly during break time! During lunch today, I was able to meet everyone at my table and made some great connections. I happened to be one of the few San Diegans in my lunch group so it was also interesting to learn about where everyone was traveling from.

5. When you get advice, take it as a guideline. Step back and think about if and how it applies to your business. This is valuable advice I learned from Intel’s Pam Didner in her Social Media Mash- Up session. With information overload, we are constantly receiving advice from so many different sources. We often receive conflicting advice about the same topic. Instead of immediately accepting advice from the first place you receive, think about how the advice applies to your own business and the goals you’re trying to achieve. You may receive some great advice, but if it has nothing to do with your goals, then it may not be something you want to take action on.

I definitely learned a lot more than just 5 things today, but I trust that just the tidbit of information I’ve shared will help you in some way, inspire you to take some action and encourage you to keep learning every day! Last but not least, I want to end by sharing a few fun things! I was extremely happy to see our hashtag #OMSummit trending! This takes me back to memory lane since I actually created the Twitter account for the Online Marketing Summit and starting using the hashtag 5 years ago!

The Expo Hall has a lot of stuff going on. The Crimson Hexagon booth hired a Caricature Drawer to use their technology and draw fun photos of everyone. Here’s my digital caricature. I don’t think it looks like me at all, but I’ll let you guys decide. I do like the flower in my hair! Overall, I’m grateful for another opportunity to attend the Online Marketing Summit. I am always so excited to continue advancing my knowledge in the online marketing space and I’m happy that my blog allows me to share what I learn with my readers. Thanks for reading and if you’re at the Online Marketing Summit, please make sure to connect with me!

 

 

Register Now for the Social Media for Entrepreneurs Workshop hosted by Marketing Melodie

Earlier this month I announced that my first speaking engagement of 2013 is taking place on Saturday February 2nd. I’m hosting the Social Media for Entrepreneurs Workshop. The event will be held at the National University Spectrum Business Park campus and is sponsored by National University’s School of Business and Management (SOBM) Center for Entrepreneurship. The Social Media for Entrepreneurs Workshop Series is an excellent opportunity to learn how to make more money through Social Media and network with other successful business leaders.

Here are all the details on the official event flyer:

REGISTER NOW! To reserve your spot for this event please call or email Sherille Sangalang:

Phone: 858-642-8585

Email: ssangalang@nu.edu

As I mentioned in the last post about this event, I know some of you reading this may be thinking “I have already seen Melodie speak on those topics”, why would I want to go again? Social media is CONSTANTLY evolving and changing just like my presentations. They are always updated with the latest information. If you saw me speak a year ago, 6 months ago or even a month ago, I can guarantee and promise you that you’ll still learn new things since  there are now new social media sites to keep track of, new rules on existing sites and an abundance of new information that didn’t exist the last time you saw me speak. I’ve been working on the presentation this week and I’ve already created many new slides that aren’t found in any of my old presentations. I’m very excited for the opportunity to host this workshop and look forward to seeing you all there.

If you are interested in hiring me to speak at your event or to your organization, please contact me and we’ll set up a time to discuss the opportunity. You can find our more information on my speaking experience and topics here.

Next Page »