Category

Social Media

Apr 11
Love0

Advice for the College Marketing and Communications Majors

By Social Media

I was lucky enough last week to get the chance to Skype in to my friend Ken Mueller’s class at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania. The class, which Ken, who is the brains behind Inkling Media, developed for the school, is called Marketing 360 and focuses on social media marketing. I got to play long distance guest speaker and address the topic of taking online interaction offline.

I shared several client examples of work that has gone from online social interaction to in person interaction, cementing relationships clients have with their customers. My favorite part of the class, however, was when the students took turns hopping in front of the camera to ask me a question. At the end of class, I asked about the future of the graduating seniors and got to hear that many of them have solid plans; jobs, even! It was fantastic.

Ken asked me to share some advice, which is funny to me sometimes because I forget how long it’s been since I was in college; that these 14 years or so of experience have added up to something. I told the class to write and to read as much as possible and to, above all, be patient in their new roles as junior staffers; that everyone has a few years of paying their dues and they will be no different; that they should take that time to think, build and develop strong portfolios and online profiles.

Afterwards, I kept thinking about that class and the other 20-somethings I know in marketing and communications and the advice I shared with one of them recently. I think the most important idea to think through is your passion. What is it that interests you most? I have a fondness and personal interest in health care and in education — I lean toward clients in these fields and find that my best work gets done in areas where I’m personally engaged. So my advice is this; focus on your passions and the rest will fall into place.

Thanks Ken, and thanks Marketing 360 class! It was great to be part of your evening.

 

 

Mar 21
Love0

Do You Read? What to Look for in a Social Media Manager

By Social Media

I have been postulating a theory. Stick with me while I draw you through the rivulet of thought; the theory is that readers are more  easily inclined to engage in social media. That, leading to the hypothesis that social media managers for businesses will be more successful if they are readers. I’ll come back to that in a second.

I posed the question on Facebook and in results unsurprising to me, found that a majority of my friends identify themselves as readers. Truth be told: I might be a bit of a snob in this area – I tend to have more in common with readers, being a voracious one myself.

It has been downright shocking, then, the number of people I’ve known in business relationships who say “I’m not a reader,” or “I don’t read,” especially when those people have been in marketing or communications roles.

Who are all these readers, then, who are the millions of Kindle users, who are buying up Nooks?

I suspect that they have much in common with the 500 million active Facebook users, than half of them login to Facebook daily. I suspect these same readers make up the 78% of internet users to read blogs, who participate in Amazon by not just buying, but ranking and leaving comments, and allowing others’ thoughts to guide their buying decisions.

Of those readers, those who are writers are doubly blessed; they read, listen, watch, engage, and (be still my heart) PUBLISH.

If you’re looking for social media managers, ask them if they read.

Go ahead — let me have it if you are a non-reader — I want to hear from you, too.

Mar 17
Love0

Curating Content for the Social Web: The Role of a Social Media Manager

By Social Media

My friend Joe of Book of Joe fame, sent me a link to a story titled Social Media Managers Just Tweet All Day and Surf Facebook. The image to the left is from the post, which goes on to explain the role more thoroughly, and illustrates what is a pretty demanding schedule.

The title of the post is meant to annoy those of us in the social strategy business and  attract people who mistakenly think that social media doesn’t have anything to do with business, marketing or customer relations and that those of us who engage in it are just goofing around all day.

Consultants and thought leaders in the industry have been predicting for years the addition of an important employee role to companies large and small: that of the social media manager. Companies struggle to source the role with existing marketing managers or by outsourcing to firms that may or may not be qualified to manage the company’s social strategy. (The very phrase social strategy may be foreign).

It’s a role that is very quickly becoming necessary and one surrounded with misunderstanding and misdirection (or little direction at all). Companies are saying, “we know we need this, but we don’t know how to get it.” Often, (and this gives me THE CHILLS) companies are turning to their youngest team members (sometimes an intern) and saying, “hey, you’re young, you get this; YOU be our social media manager.”

Uh, no.

A good social media manager understands your business, is well-connected, influential, well-spoken, a clear and concise writer, a curious thinker, a good time manager and an avid consumer of content.

Who is your social media manager? If your company has yet to fill this role, how do you plan to source this position?

Mar 15
Love0

Jaggers Communications Offers Social Media for Small Business in Waynesboro, Va.

By Jaggers Communications News, Social Media

*MEDIA ALERT*

For more information, contact:

Marijean Jaggers
434.973.0645
mjaggers@jaggerscommunications.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jaggers Communications Offers Social Media for Small Business in Waynesboro, Va.

WHAT: In partnership with Waynesboro Area Learning Tree (WALT) Jaggers Communications offers a hands-on workshop containing critical information for marketers, business owners and job seekers. Participants will learn how to create a manageable schedule of media engagement that produces results.

This workshop will help participants learn the structure of an effective, efficient integrated digital communication plan, how to implement social strategy for a small business and provides an overview of the tools common to social implementation.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 23, 9:00a.m. to 11:00a.m.  Register by calling WALT at 540-943-4457.

WHERE: WDDI Conference Center 301 Main Street, Waynesboro, Va.

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About Jaggers Communications

Jaggers Communications is a strategic communications firm that provides organizations in the health care, education, manufacturing, travel and tourism industries with social media consulting, public relations support and reputation management strategy. The firm was founded in 2011 to serve businesses and nonprofits with a need for cost-effective, strategic communications with effective reach. www.jaggerscommunications.com