SubscribeRinging in the New Year with List of 12s for 2012!
Happy New Year! 2011 was amazing! And I’m excited for what 2012 has in store. For my first post of 2012 I’m sticking with the “new year” theme!
I love making lists. To-do lists are the most common for me. I make these daily to stay on task with both my personal and professional life. In fact I’ve even added things to my to-do list after I already accomplished them, just so I can check it off. C’mon I know I’m not the only one who’s done this before! Fess up if you have!
Instead of resolutions, I shared with my network that 2012 means making “Lists of 12s”!
I’m working on lists of 12 new restaurants to try, 12 new places to go, 12 marketing goals for my business and first list I made is of course related to tech and social media: 12 tech/web/social media related things I’d like to accomplish in 2012!
1. Pinterest- We all know about my food porn addiction. I recently joined Pinterest and wow, it’s any food porn addict’s DREAM! I have 2 boards related to food. My Sweet Tooth is filled with gorgeous, mouth-watering sweets. Rather than just look at these images and drool, in 2012 I’m going to actually make at least 2 desserts I’ve pinned on Pinterest. (Give me food and I’ll cook but please note I have virtually zero experience when it comes to baking sweets so this is something new for me!)
2. Facebook- Part of what I do for my Marketing clients is work with them to create customized social media profiles that are cohesive with their brand and website. You know the old saying “The Cobbler’s children have no shoes”? I spend a lot of time helping clients create a marketing strategy that effectively integrates social media and Facebook is one of the main tools I use. However, even though I help clients with this, I personally haven’t had an opportunity to customize my own Facebook page. In 2012, I’m going to redesign my Facebook Page so it’s cohesive with my website and brand.
3. Yelp- Write a minimum of 12 new Yelp reviews in 2012
4. LinkedIn- I’m grateful that I’ve received so many positive recommendations from my colleagues, clients and partners on LinkedIn. I’m truly humbled by reading the things people who have benefited from my work. I’ve been meaning to create a “Testimonials” section on my website by transferring many of my LinkedIn recommendations. In 2012 I’m going to create a “Testimonials” section on my website based on my LinkedIn recommendations.
5. Gmail- I’ve created folders and filters for many emails, but not all. I have thousands and thousands of unread messages in my inbox. I’ve trained myself to skip over unimportant emails such as ones from newsletters I don’t recall signing up for or emails related to people connecting with me on a social network but this still means there’s clutter in my inbox. In the past few days I’ve already unsubscribed from about 15 email lists and removed over 4000 messages from my inbox. I have over 8000 to go! In 2012 I’m going to get my gmail inbox down to zero, for the first time ever!
6. Foursquare- I’m a total Foursquare lover! I was traveling internationally in 2010 on Foursquare Day (4/16) and still manged to organize and host Foursquare Day in Hong Kong! In 2011 I hosted Foursquare Day San Diego in America’s Finest City! I’m currently a Super User- Level 2. The highest Super User Level is 3 and I’ve read that it’s virtually impossible to become a Level 3 Super User but my wordplay mind gets turned on because in the word “impossible” I just see the words “I’m possible” so in 2012 I’m going to become a Foursquare Superuser Level 3!
7. Evernote- While Evernote helps me stay organized; my Evernote itself needs to be organized. Whenever I forward an email to my Evernote the email doesn’t get categorized into a folder immediately. This is the main ways I update my Evernote so I definitely have some cleaning up to do. In 2012 I’m going to clean up my Evernote account.
8. YouTube- I’m not a regular YouTuber but I’m currently working on an awesome Social Media related video that will be published soon. My goal is to get at least 1 million views on this video. I know that sounds extreme especially since my current YouTube videos have views only in the hundreds. I’ve got a good feeling about this video and in 2012 I’m going to get 1 million views on my social media related YouTube video.
9. Twitter- All of my Twitter followers were gained authentically through people finding my page and being interested in topics I tweet about. I’d like to continue being a resource on Twitter but also build up my Twitter following with more people who are engaged in conversation and content I post. In 2012 I’m going to grow my Twitter following to over 5000 while keeping in mind this must be done authentically through just being me!
10. Phone- My Droid 2 just isn’t cutting it! Rather than continue to complain about how my phone is slow in 2012 I’m going to get a new phone!
11. Laptop- My laptop and all the information it contains is literally my most valuable possession. It contains photos, music, confidential documents etc. It used to be backed up on the cloud but my subscription ended and I haven’t had a chance to renew. Whether on the cloud or on a hard drive, in 2012 I need to make sure I back up my laptop again!
12. Blogging- My last in my list of 12s is something that will keep me accountable for 1-11 on this list! And that’s to write a follow up blog post in 6 months and then right before on 2013 on what items have been checked in on this tech/web/social media list of 12!
Wishing everyone the best of the best in 2012! Thank you to everyone who reads my posts. I’ve really appreciate the comments, tweets, Facebook Likes, Subscribes and emails! It makes me happy to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time!
The Art of Learning Something New Everyday
Being an Entrepreneur and Marketer in today’s day and age can definitely be challenging but also extremely rewarding. I create my own opportunities and LOVE what I do but I can’t dismiss that there are so many things to manage including new technologies that pop up by the minute (meaning I must learn and be well versed on them before everyone else so I can educate others about them), challenges of running a business itself: finances, marketing, business development, etc and then of course balancing everything with my personal life that I cherish!
Something that really inspires and motivates me daily is the knowing that I literally LEARN SOMETHING NEW EACH AND EVERY DAY! This to me is priceless and it usually happens when I’m teaching others, giving advice or recommendations. I come to the realization that “HEY! I needed to learn that too!” Or “Wow I really need to take my own advice!” I truly believe the world is a mirror and what I encounter is a reflection of myself and where I’m at in life. I’ve recently learned so much while teaching and interacting with others for my job so here are a few things I’ve learned in the past couple weeks I feel are worth sharing .
1. Networking Tip: No selling at mixers and have a 2 sentence opener that sparks interest! I often avoid going to business mixers because I’m just not a fan of the whole “What do you do?” question being asked to me a hundred times. I realize it’s important for me to get out there and meet people face to face so I got myself to go out and I attended a 6 Degrees San Diego networking event last week. I met a guy who works in insurance. He immediately started to try and sell me policies. This also immediately made me lose interest. But it made me re-evaluate the way I connect with people at business mixers. It’s important to be authentic while being able to describe what you do in 1-2 sentences to peak people’s interest so you don’t get flustered (because it’s easy to get nervous when you’re on the spot!). If you start by bombarding someone by selling, you’ll lose the connection and thus I came up with my opener to spark interest when I get asked the Question “What do you do?” “I’m a Marketing professional; I specialize in Digital Marketing and Social Media. I teach businesses how to utilize digital tools to grow their business.” Then I stop. THAT’S IT! I couldn’t believe that before this week I really didn’t have an efficient way to describe to people what I do without selling! Thank you to the guy who sold to me at an event and encouraged me to rethink my approach when I introduce myself at business mixers.
2. Social Media Tip: Update your LinkedIn profile! I have gotten more business from people finding me on Linkedin than any other social network. If you’re not already on LinkedIn, sign up! I recently hosted a Digital Media Now seminar teaching people how to optimize their Social Media profiles, including LinkedIn. I discussed using keywords in your profile so you have a higher probability of coming up in searches. Of course you would think since I’m teaching this, my profile would be completely optimized with all the proper terms. Well I realized I have never, ever added anything to the “Skills” section! I had zero skills listed, which means zero key words. Moral of the story is that I need to be mindful of keeping my own marketing tools up to date especially if I’m teaching everyone else to do the same. After I updated this on my profile, I IMMEDIATELY had someone hire me for a project based on being impressed with my profile and she mentioned my “Skills” listed! Anyway, even if you only spend 10 minutes doing this, go update your LinkedIn profile as soon as possible!
Marketing Melodie's LinkedIn Article for the San Diego Reader
3. Peace of Mind Tip: It’s ok to do nothing because doing nothing is actually accomplishing something!
This last tip comes from my Yogi side! I practice yoga several times a week and try to meditate daily (daily is more like once a week). I recently found myself recommending yoga classes to someone who really felt stressed out and had no time to do anything. While I was saying this the thought popped into my head. “How is it possible that I’m a yoga instructor but have the hardest time practicing yoga, meditating and staying present myself?!” Do as they say, not as they do right? Working in an industry that’s constantly changing while at the same time being an entrepreneur means my mind is always racing! It’s difficult for me to take a break and often when I do take a break, I feel like I’m not getting anything done or I’m wasting time. My tip to all of you and to myself is that when you take a break to meditate, read, wind down, whatever it is you do to relax, try your very best to know that it’s OK to be taking that break and be doing nothing. This “doing nothing” is actually doing wonders for your body in terms or helping you recharge, rejuvenate, relax, all sorts of positive things your body needs especially if you’re a busy body!
I leave you with a quote I find very inspirational that’s aligned with my belief that I really do learn something new every day!
“No day in which you learn something is a complete loss” ~David Eddings
Learning the Benefits of Social Media with @AllisonSchummer!
I recently welcomed the lovely Allison Schummer to my team. As an aspiring marketer and SDSU student about to graduate and enter the work force, Allison’s ambition has positively fueled her to not only help my company grow, but also continue learning and educating herself about digital marketing and social media. Today Allison shares with everyone things she’s learned about networking, social media and marketing since we’ve been working together. These tips are great for both beginners getting into the space and anyone who could use a little refresher!
HIT IT ALLISON!
After working with Melodie for several weeks now, I have learned a lot about Social Media and all the benefits it has to offer. Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin are great Social Media websites that have allowed me to brand myself, network, and learn effective communication skills. Here are a few things I have found valuable from these three Social Media sites:
Twitter has taught me how important networking is. If it weren’t for Twitter, I would have never known about Melodie’s request for an intern. Through networking on Twitter, I was introduced to Marketing Melodie and the rest is history. Twitter has also made me a better communicator; it encourages me to become more concise, expand my vocabulary, and improve my writing skills to write a tweet within 140 characters or less.
Although I’ve been a Facebook member for about 5 years now, I’m still learning about what the site has to offer. Until recently, I was unaware that you could personalize your Facebook URL. This important because it’s another way to brand yourself on Social Media. Through Facebook, I’ve learned the importance of branding yourself by being consistent within your Social Media sites.
LinkedIn is a great site to appeal to future employers or potential people in your professional network. Through Linkedin, I find it valuable to be able to post my work and educational experience for people to seek out. Again it is important to present yourself as a professional on Linkedin while staying consistent with your brand.
Through Social Media sites, I am provided with up to date knowledge on the latest trends and have been able to build strong relationships, only expanding my social and professional network. I can’t wait to learn and blog more about Social Media!
Thanks for sharing Allison! If you’re reading this and you also want to learn the ins and outs of Social Media, I’m still seeking Marketing Interns, apply today! If you’re reading this and you know someone who can benefit from working with me, please spread the word. Stay tuned for more posts from Allison on things she’s learned and experienced from working in marketing. You can follow Allison on Twitter to learn more about her marketing adventures!
