Blog – Page 107 – Jaggers Communications

Nov 17

Charlottesville Car Dealerships and Social Media: A Study of Four Automotive Brands

By Marijean Social Media

In the last few years I’ve noticed an uptick in the number of local car dealerships ending their television commercials with “Friend us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.”

I became curious about what the local social media scene among the automotive brands really looks like and decided to conduct a small independent study.

Price Kia is the first dealership that appears in a Google search that has an evident social media presence on its home page. The Kia dealership’s Facebook Page has 248 “likes,” 30 photos and four videos but not a lot of engagement or customer interaction.
Brown Automotive is the second leader in the Google search, and has a Facebook Page with only 141 “likes;” surprising because this dealership is so engaged in the local community. Twitter is where this dealership really stands out and that is largely due to www.twitter.com/brownautogal What really makes Brown’s social media engagement successful is that Brown Automotive’s Twitter presence has a face and a voice — and these belong to Jamie Schwartz, aka Brown Auto Gal.
Flow Volkswagen Charlottesville only offers a Facebook page for customer engagement. The page has only 50 “likes,” but offers good content, helpful tips and reminders. With such great content, it’s too bad that Flow Volkswagen isn’t living up to its social media potential.
BMW of Charlottesville earns points for having Facebook and Twitter badges on its website home page, making it clear to their community where to engage. BMW’s Facebook page is active so it’s surprising that it has only 30 “likes.” The dealership also has a Twitter account, but they seem to be a bit confused about it — the account is http://twitter.com/bmwcharlville but the bio lists it as BMWCharville:

The Twitter account needs some help. A keyword-rich bio should be added and it should be evident who the person is behind the account. There are thousands of engaged Twitter users in our community – and yet BMW of Charlottesville is only following 12.

There is definitely some untapped potential for social media engagement in the car sales arena in Charlottesville. I see plenty of people in our community tweeting and posting on Facebook about a need for a new car, recommendations for where to get a car fixed or the next car they should purchase. With such a competitive marketplace, these dealerships should take a hard look at how they can pull ahead of the others with some simple social media strategy.

Nov 12

Love0

My Social (Media) Life

By Marijean Social Media

I’ve been very fortunate to have the opportunity to teach audiences all over the country about social media this year. I’m wrapping up my last planned out-of-state speaking gig this week and reflecting on all the great people I’ve met through social media in 2010.

I’ve spoken to groups in California, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Washington D.C., Georgia and Virginia — speaking a number of times in Charlottesville/Central Virginia where I live. Add to that a series of webinars with a reach of an additional community who didn’t have to leave the comfort of their offices to learn about social media tools and how they can be used for their businesses or nonprofit organizations.

I have had a great time and I’m excited to think about where social media might take me in 2011.

Let me know in the comments if you’re looking for social media education for your organization in the coming year — I truly love sharing best practices with a live (or online) audience and would welcome the opportunity to talk to you.

Nov 10

Love0

Finding a Job: Social Networks are Key

By Marijean Uncategorized

My sister, Marçia Heroux Pounds, is a journalist and the author of a new book you should read; I Found a Job! Job Search Strategies for America’s Recovery.

You should buy it, read it, and buy copies for everyone you know looking for a job (or a new, improved job).

The book is I Found a Job! and you can get it from Barnes and Noble (this is especially important for all of you boycotting Amazon right now.)

A person’s social network plays a big role in how many of the individuals interviewed for this book found new careers and opportunities. As a big cheerleader for social networking, I am thrilled to promote this book as a collection of inspiring stories of people seeking and finding gratifying work.

This book or its development may be familiar to many of you; I used my own social network to help my sister connect to many of the people interviewed for this project and some of those people appear in the book. (If you’re a reader of mine, and you buy I Found a Job! you may see some familiar names!)

Buy the book from Barnes and Noble.

Nov 10

Love0

Bloggers: Thought leaders, narcissists or survivors?

By Marijean Communications

Lately it seems like just about everyone I know blogs. Of course that’s not the case since I also know quite a few people who have never blogged in their lives (Hi Mom!).

I don’t think the high number of bloggers in my social circle is a result of working in social media or communications — I think that it is the result of many more kinds of people blogging.

When I started blogging, it was still considered kind of a weird thing to do. I hesitated to tell people about my blog and remember clearly going to my first blogger gathering and thinking, “these are my people; this is where I belong.”

While many have tried their hand at blogging, there are a few who have kept at it — who have gone the distance. Last year, the New York Times estimated that 95 percent of all blogs are abandoned. Many of the bloggers I’ve been reading for years are survivors in my book.

I believe it — blogging is hard work and some people have it in them to keep at it, and some people don’t. After all these years I still find that I have plenty to say (a symptom, I think, of being a voracious consumer of information). Blogging has served me well, contributing to a career that continues to grow and supporting an upward trajectory of confidence in my writing, teaching and speaking abilities.

Someone I consider a mentor once said she thought of blogging as narcissistic and therefore couldn’t really bring herself to do it. “Am I a narcissist?” I thought . . . maybe a little, but what writer isn’t, a little (in the, “well why wouldn’t people want to read my words?” way.)

Klout, the self-described “standard for online and internet influence” says I’m a “thought leader.” This is good because this is what I’ve set out to become.

Are you a blogger? If so, how do you define yourself as a blogger?

If you’re not a blogger, what do you think when someone shares that they blog?

Nov 09

Love0

But Honestly Monica, Five things Cooks’ Source Should do Right Now

By Marijean Social Media

If you’ve been online or follow any social media news whatsoever, you’ve probably been exposed to the social media spanking being heaped upon Judith Griggs of Cooks’ Source.

If you haven’t seen it, let me sum up:

Monica Guadio wrote an article; Cooks Source (and that apostrophe above is mine — for Pete’s sake, the title of the publication – the way they write it — isn’t even correct!) took it, made some changes and published it as theirs. Monica called them on it and received an outrageously arrogant response from the editor. You really have to read about it on Monica’s website and read the response it its original state to get the full benefit of outrage. The “but honestly, Monica” is so deliciously condescending it’s become both a hashtag and a trending phrase.

The community took up their virtual torches and pitchforks and let Cooks Source have it on their Facebook page.

Here are five things Cooks Source should do RIGHT NOW:

Fire Judith Griggs and replace her immediately.
Apologize, immediately and sincerely (no, “my bad” is not an apology) and begin putting to rights all the wrongs it has committed.
Re-brand and overhaul the publication — its practices are abhorrent and illegal – if the publication doesn’t go under from lawsuits and legal fees, it will be a minor miracle.
In a good faith effort, OWN UP to all past mistakes and make a commitment to financially support an up and coming food writer through scholarship, in addition to paying for all of the purloined content they have taken over the years.
Consider adding that apostrophe if you’re going to keep the name. Just sayin’.

Bloggers: Thought leaders, narcissists or survivors?

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