What is the difference between…?

3 07 2012

I was asked to give a social media workshop at the National Youth Leadership Council’s National Youth Leadership Training in the upcoming weeks. I created a quick sheet with a summary of the social media options that you should know about (geared for service-learning projects). So if you ever get confused why one is used for a certain reason and not another, here is a two/three sentence explanation of the most popular ones of today.

Facebook: A tool most of you are familiar with, Facebook is a “pull medium” that will allow you to engage with friends and fans to spread the message about your project. Collect “likes,” shares, and comments about your cause.

 

Twitter: Prepped for mobile and simplicity, Twitter allows you to “push” content to your followers to inform them about your cause. Go for re-tweets and mentions to achieve success.

 

LinkedIn: A networker’s dream, LinkedIn connects professionals through “connections.” Complete with updates, an inbox, groups, and more information about their career than you probably need, you can connect with people that can help you with your projects.

 

Youtube: The site that brought us J-Bieb’s, Youtube is one of the largest places to share videos. The videos do not just begin and end on the Youtube site; you can embed these videos into your social networking efforts.

Pinterest: Optimized for photos and info-graphics, you can “pin” on your pin-boards and share beautiful looking content that compliment your message. This is a relatively new service to the marketing industry.

Blog: The antique of the social networking mediums, blogs have proven to be valuable for years. You want a place to share your content beyond 140 characters on Twitter or the paragraphs that people refuse to read on Facebook. This is the place to expand on your thoughts and show off your knowledge. The common belief about social media is that you use the other mediums to point viewers to your blog.


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Categories : Social Media, Young Adults

Don’t forgot to tag your photos!

29 06 2012

If you read my last post (a few weeks ago already!), I told you that you must post photos when you are marketing. If you post them on Facebook, some people forget an essential step, tagging. Tagging is so simple and extremely helpful because of the possible visibility reach it provides.

The importance of tagging hit me when I tagged some of my Peace Dinner youth team members in a photo on the Liemandt Foundation Facebook page. It was a group photo of our whole team, most of them on Facebook. When I tagged my friends in the photo, all of their friends saw the photo in their newsfeed and the photo now appears in their photos with a link to the LF page. The page has 30 likes total so the initial posting does not receive a lot of views. However, the tagging of the 8 members increased the potential reach to over a minimum of 4,000 people. A photo received double digit likes for the time on the LF page and most of those likes were not even initially fans of the page.

Think about the possible reach you could get with some of photos. People care about the photos they are in (you have to make sure you look good in it of course) and people care about photos their friends are in to see what they have been doing.  Next time you post a photo of an event, meeting, etc. on your page or on a personal profile: TAG IT!

Note: if you would like me to explain how the tagging feature works or instructions on how to do it, shoot me an email – nliemandt@gmail.com


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Categories : Social Media

Photos are worth 1,000 words (but really)

8 06 2012

The common cliche “a photo is worth 1,000 words” usually receives an eye-roll. If you are marketing, instead of rolling your eyes, you should have them on the lookout for outstanding photos to engage your customers. The photos that are the best engagers are extremely visual and need very little explanation.

The reason photos work so well is based on the Internet being a visual haven and because many people are too lazy (or busy) to read text. Above all, they are simple. Think about how you spend your time on Facebook. Do you interact with plain text statuses or do you live for “creeping” on photos? Yes, creeping on Facebook is the accepted term among teens to describe looking at photos. No matter how interesting I think my new text status is, I am usually disappointed to find out how little people care about it. However, when I post just an average picture, I receive a countless number of those coveted notifications.

Why does it work?
1. Our eyes are drawn to the color and activity that a photo captures versus the plain black and white text.

2. People are lazy (or busy) and it takes less time and effort to glance at a photo than read a couple sentences.

3. Photos take up more space in a timeline or on a website than a sentence. Therefore, they have the tendency to be noticed more.

4. You are showing, not telling. In that pesky red pen, my history teacher wrote “show me, don’t tell me” all over my final paper. That is what photos do. They paint a clear picture in the viewers mind and most likely limit the number of times your words are misinterpreted.

5. They are simple.

If you are not a good photographer, you have two options: Hire one or follow my uncle’s philosophy, snap as many as photos as you can because one is bound to turn out okay. Pick one of these options and start engaging online.


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Categories : Simple, Social Media

My new job- NYLC

6 06 2012

I want to apologize for my absence in the past few weeks. I graduated from high school and started a new job at the National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) as a marketing intern. I would like to take this post to let you know that I will resume posting and tell you a little bit about NYLC.

NYLC (www.nylc.org) is a non-profit based in St. Paul, MN that has become a champion in service-learning. They do amazing work to inspire and educate the world of service-learning and youth engagement. I had the opportunity to work with them planning the National Service-Learning Conference this spring and learned what service-learning was all about. It is about connecting regular service and regular learning; tying them together in an engaging and educational experience. It provides meaningful service to the community and at the same time provides participants the opportunity to learn skills they can use everyday.

I am excited to get the opportunity to work with this organization. It will be a chance for me to grow as a marketer (working in a marketing team!) and as a better leader. Be sure to check out the organization on Facebook for updates on the programs and ongoings: https://www.facebook.com/nylcorg


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Categories : Young Adults

Create Your Niche

15 05 2012

In my first post I told you that you have be first in your category (http://nickliemandt.com/2012/05/02/be-first/). As promised, here is a post on what to do if your not fortunate enough be the leader or the first in your category like Jackie Robinson.

Can you tell me who the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic ocean was? Yes, Charles Lindbergh is correct. Do you know the second? If you got this right, give yourself 975 points. Bert Hinkler was the second and did it faster and more efficiently than Lindbergh.  Many people have never heard his name. You may think this to be a silly question, but do you know the third? Most likely not. HOWEVER, do you know the first woman to accomplish this feat? The answer to both is Amelia Earhart.

Earhart is not thought of as one of the first people to fly across the Atlantic solo. This is 100%, however Earhart created her own distinct category as the first female to accomplish this feat and that is why we know her name today. This example is the second law from “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” and the final example I will borrow from the book; I highly recommend reading all 22 laws on your own. This law is something that YOU and your organization can do.

Figure out what makes you unique and make that your category. It is nice to know you offer a better service than the competitor, but most often it is the leader in the category that gets the fame and the business. Take a look at Lindergh and Hinkler; Hinkler did it better but Lindbergh did it first.

Separate yourself from the pack: Create a distinct niche. Market that new niche. Enjoy success.


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Categories : Unique

Why Teens need a LinkedIn

6 05 2012

Teens and young adults are the catalysts of the technological world we live in. They have no trouble joining the likes of Facebook, Twitter, or the new craze at my school – Instagram. These addicting social networks are a major part of our daily lives but most teens are missing one tool, and maybe the most important one, in their tool belt: LinkedIn.

Through my work in youth-serving non-profit organizations, I have interacted with some truly amazing young people and I am confident they will be the decisions makers of tomorrow. They have impressive resumes, stories to share, and opportunities constantly knocking on their door. The connections made, especially with adults in other generations, are a valuable benefit of the work and LinkedIn is one of the best ways to continue cultivating the relationship.

The key benefit to teens is that LinkedIn is a cross-generational platform. The adults that they meet are the ones that can teach teens new skills, provide opportunities, and hopefully – hire them. The hard work is all done. The impressive resumes and work is already completed; they just have to create the profile and they are good to go! If you’re not sold, let me give you the benefits of LinkedIn:

1. Online profile with contact info, resume, and photo. (PERSONAL BRAND)
2. The ability to “show off” who you know.
3. Reach out to adults and other youth you can learn from.
4. View articles that are most shared around the internet pertaining to your interests.
5. Collect recommendations of people who value your work.
6. Join groups in areas that interest you. Share your knowledge!

These are the benefits that anyone, teen or adult, receives from LinkedIn. Teens need to take advantage of these benefits more than anyone. Teens will be entering the job market very soon and it will be vital to have a network in place when that time comes. Build your professional reputation and build your personal brand!


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Categories : Social Media, Young Adults

Be First

2 05 2012

If I asked you who the first African-American baseball player in the MLB is, you would most likely be able to spit out “Jackie Robinson!” Now, quickly tell me who the second African-American baseball player is. Did I stump you? Without Google, I would have been stumped too. The answer is Larry Doby, who started just a few months after Robinson.

Now you can pull out a “Fun Fact” at your next party or the lunch table but what does this example that is over 50 years old demonstrate about marketing? The value of being first and being unique. The reason we know about Jackie Robinson is because he was the FIRST African-American to break the color barrier. Breaking the color barrier was controversial and monumental. It is a fascinating story and you can read more about the his full story if you’re interested:

http://www.jackierobinson.com/about/bio.html

Robinson is famous for being first even 50 years after the event but most of us have never even heard of poor Larry Doby. I would assume that being the second person to break the color barrier was still extremely difficult and just as imporant because it affirmed the trend started by Robinson. That kind of feat deserves to be applauded and known about as well, don’t you think? Doby is the victim of being second in the category, something that can be detrimental to a message.

People tend to cling to the idea that first enters their mind, which is why it is so important to be like Jackie Robinson and be first in your category. The first step is to decide what you are first in.

One of my favorite non-profits is Search Institute, http://www.search-institute.org/,  and Search developed the “40 Developmental Assets” which are key to creating healthy communities and healthy youth. It joined a huge network of organizations aiming to help youth succeed, a very admirable but cluttered category. The beauty of the organization is that it is first in the category of asset-building. If you need expertise on how to build assets, the non-profit community automatically generates Search as the leader and that is what you want to do with your message.

What if you are not like Search or Robinson and you are not first in your category? Do not worry, there is still hope! Later this week, I will show you how to create a category of your own.

My inspiration for this concept comes from “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” by Al Reis and Jack Trout. This is a must read book for any marketer, especially beginners. Is does not matter if you are a small non-profit, a senior corporate executive or high schooler starting a lawn business. Follow the link below and put it on your must-read list.

http://www.amazon.com/The-22-Immutable-Laws-Marketing/dp/0887306667


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