Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category

Noted :: Attack of the Apps – June App Review

Posted June 12th, 2013 in Noted | 1 Comment

Here we are again, my favorite blog post of the month – the app review! Here are my three favorite apps that I’m excited to share with you this month.

1. Statigram

Unlike all of the apps that I’ve previously reviewed, this app isn’t available to download on your smartphone {yet}. However, it can be accessed just as easily on your computer, laptop or tablet. As we’ve written about in the past, Instagram has quickly become one of the largest and fastest growing social media platforms. With so many brands and businesses sharing on Instagram, it’s important to be able to measure growth so that you are able to gauge your success on the platform. That is where Statigram comes in. It asks you to login with your Instagram name and works with Instagram to acquire your Instagram statistics including, number of followers, growth of followers in the last 7 days, measurement of follower engagement {photo likes, comments etc.} and so much more. It even will show you a “snapshot” view of your Instagram account including the followers that you like the most, and your top photos.

 

How Is It Relevant For Your Business?
One of our most frequently asked questions is: how can I tell if my social media efforts are working? Statigram takes out the guesswork for this relatively new social media platform and provides basic analytics to keep your company on track for growth. Coupled with a solid list of measurable goals and objectives, Statigram is an easy to understand and helpful tool to help benchmark your success on Instagram. There are many tools out there for social media measurement, but many haven’t integrated Instagram analytics into their measurement capabilities. It’s easy to use and will provide you with the data you need to continue growing your Instagram efforts.

2. dotdotdot

This app is great for any smartphone, tablet or desktop. dotdotdot is a central place where you can organize, read and share articles, eBooks, blogs – you name it. Two of the greatest features of this app are, you can essentially pull in text from any website using the browser feature and then you can highlight, comment and share that information with others. It also has the ability to link directly to your DropBox account, so those long WORD documents can be pulled in and marked up with ease. I even tried using it with recent post from our blog and it pulled it in and allowed me to read the text and highlight the important information and then store and share the information. It also has a social aspect to it, where you can browse other users lists, have other users “follow” your lists and also pulls together analytics that shows you how many pieces of text you read that week.

How Is It Relevant For Your Business?
We work collaboratively in this office, as I’m sure most businesses do. We enjoy sharing information with each other, especially from articles, books and blogs that we read. dotdotdot allows you to easily share all that information with just a few clicks. You can highlight important sections of any text, comment on them and then share them with other members or your team. This is a huge timesaver, especially for those who travel and don’t always have access to a desktop or for anyone who has 15 minutes until a meeting and needs a quick synopsis of a 40 page creative brief. This app can be used to send the most pertinent information, quickly and efficient to a number of people – and what company doesn’t like efficient, quick and pertinent information at the touch of a button?

Source: cardmunch.com via Rapid City Public Libraries on Pinterest

 

3. CardMunch

CardMunch doesn’t need a lot of explaining – it’s a simple app but extremely useful for a professional in any field. The app is powered by Linkedin; a company that knows just how important it is to maintain connections and network. All you do is snap a photo of the business card you received and the Linkedin team will transcribe it, populate all of the contact information for you and conveniently store it for you on your iPhone. It’s as simple as that. You can also add notes onto the contact, so if you meet them at a certain tradeshow or conference you can mark that down to refresh your memory later. It also integrates easily with Linkedin, so you can search for your new contact there and connect with them through the social media platform.

How Is It Relevant For You Business?
We all know that the Rolodex is dead and this app is living proof. You never know where you might meet someone and in turn, where their business card might end up – in the cup holder of your car, at the bottom of your bag, stuck in between your notes from a long conference – this app eliminates your chances of miss placing an important contact. We’re living in a mobile age where a lot of our business is don’t “on the go” and what better place to have our contacts then our phone or tablet which is a constant travel companion.

~Allyson

Noted :: Three of Our Most Commonly Asked Social Media Questions

Posted June 11th, 2013 in Blog, Noted | 3 Comments

Source: lifechurch.tv via LifeChurch.tv on Pinterest

 

Millions of companies, businesses and brands are using social media platforms – some are using them well and some aren’t even sure where to begin. Whatever level a brand or business is at, we’re often asked the same questions while working on any social media strategy or campaign. Today, we’re exploring three of our most frequently asked social media questions:

Source: sociologysource.org via Paula on Pinterest

 

1. What type of social media platform should I join?

Many businesses and brands are under the impression that they should join every social media platform that’s available – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, Flickr… and the list goes on.  While growing and maintaining a presence on social media is crucial for brands and businesses, it is not a necessity to join every social media platform that is available. In fact, it’s impossible. When a company sets out to decide which social media platform to join, they need to consider their own goals and objectives. Social media strategies often fail because companies do not create achievable and agreed upon, goals and measurable objectives – these will help determine your company’s strategy and success. Without establishing goals and objectives, it is nearly impossible to determine which social media platforms your company needs to establish a presence in. For example, while Pinterest is one of the largest growing social media networks, not every company will benefit from having account. While the site is great for companies who specialize in home improvement, fashion, design, entertainment, media and more – not all brands and businesses would be a good fit for this image-centric site. What about Twitter? Does your brand have enough manpower and noteworthy news to sustain an account? With thousands of tweets being posted every minute, will a company that sends out one tweet a day make an impact? Layout a strategy that clearly defines your goals and measurable objectives and the correct social media platform will essentially choose you.

*We’ve dived even deeper into this topic on two of our popular blog posts: “Noted :: Pick a Network, Any Network and Noted:: Would Your Company Benefit from a Pinterest Account?”

Source: chrisstott.com. via Terri on Pinterest

 

2. What time of day should I post?

This question is asked frequently because everybody seems to have a different answer to it. The truth is, there is no definitive answer to this question. Analytics from websites such as bitly have provided information on a more global level. However, brand and businesses should use their own internal analytics to determine what time of day a post will be most viewed by their target audience. Facebook has made this easier then ever with their new “Insights” analytics. You’re now able to see the number of people that saw each of your posts as well as how they saw it – via organically or virally. You can also count the number of likes, responses, retweets or pins you get and record these on your own. Are your followers clicking more at 3pm on a Wednesday or 8 am on Friday? Your target audience is unique to your brand and analyzing their engagement will greatly maximize the power of your posts. If finding time in your day to post is a problem, the  Buffer can help you with your posting frequency. This app allows you to schedule posts for various times throughout the day on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. This app is exceedingly helpful once you find the best times of day to post for your target audience – just write a few posts, schedule and let buffer do the rest. It also allows you to download a buffer button that will appear directly on your browser. If you find an article or piece of news interesting, click the button and buffer will allow you to schedule that piece of information to share with your followers.

Source: canaltic.com via Suzanna on Pinterest

 

Source: canaltic.com via Suzanna on Pinterest

 

3. How do I know if my social media efforts are working?

For many social media experts, this is the hardest question to answer – UNLESS (you guessed it) you’ve created a list of goals and measurable objectives. If you have a management or sales team that is used to seeing hard facts and figures, getting them on board with a social media campaign can be challenging. To get everyone on the same page, create a targeted list of goals and how you will achieve them. For example an initial goal could be: select the tone/voice that will be used within the {selected} social media platform. The measurable objective could then be: agree upon the tone and voice and build social media content with both in mind and that positions X company as an authentic brand and industry leader. Another example could be: {Goal} participate and interact with other appropriate Facebook groups or Twitter pages that would benefit X brand. The objective could then be: “Like” or “Follow” or interact with at least 5 other Facebook groups or Twitter pages that are active members in Social Media such as… {list out examples}. Your management team will be able to check off all of these goals and see how the campaign is progressing. If they also prefer facts and figures (as many do), Facebook brand pages have “Insights” which allow you to export data and see how your brand page is performing. Websites like Klout, will allow you to measure your influence on social media through “true reach: how many people you influence; amplification: how much you influence them; and network Impact: the influence of your network.”  If your team is looking for more solid data, using a social media tracking software such as Engage121, Trackur or Radian6 is always another option – although it does require some financial commitment. We also recently reviewed Sprout Social as a social media analytics and reporting tool that we have been using recently – it’s definitely worth checking out.

If you still have questions – contact Elements for a consultation to get your social media plans moving!

~Allyson

Noted :: A Secret Life Revealed

Posted June 10th, 2013 in Blog, Noted | 7 Comments

Have you ever heard the name “Vivian Maier”?

No?

Neither had I. Until now.

And I will bet, you soon will hear her name. Because she is one of the greatest photographers who lived – and we are just discovering her, posthumously.

There are many layers to this truly gripping story.

Back in the 1950′s, Vivian Maier was a nanny. A camera-toting nanny. Who would walk the street of New York City and Chicago with her charges or alone on her days off taking street portraits. Thousands of them. Amazing, beautiful, real, portraits. Each one telling an entire story captured in a single image.

And it was her own little secret.

No one knew.

She locked her door to her room, stashed her camera and film, and shared her secret talent with no one. Ever.

Fast forward to 2007.

A Chicago real estate agent and historical hobbyest, John Maloof, purchases a trunk that was found in an abandoned storage locker that was filled with roughly 10o,000 undeveloped film negatives, 700 rolls of undeveloped color film, and 8mm and 16mm movies all for $380 at a local auction house.

As he began to develop the negatives, it was immediately apparent that these were extraordinary images. So he began quest to discover who the secret photographer behind-the-lens was – and the story behind the hidden images.

Luckily, he was able to uncover the artist as this woman, Vivian Maier, from the self portraits she took of herself on her walks.

Take a look at this chilling trailer from the soon to be released documentary “Finding Viven Maier”.

I cannot wait to see this documentary and an exhibit of her work. I have so many burning questions – as I’m sure you do now as well. Such as – how did she get so close to people to capture these intimate portraits when she herself was so shy? Why did she not share her passion for photography with anyone? And why were all those negatives undeveloped?

I hope we get the answers, but even if we are left to wonder, I’m grateful that we have her unforgettable images left to enjoy.

What do you think of her photography? What burning questions do you have about Vivian Maier? And who wants to go check out the documentary with me when its released?

~Amy

Elements Library :: Growing Great Employees

Posted June 5th, 2013 in Blog, Elements Library | No Comments

My May business read was “Growing Great Employees” by Erika Andersen.

Now you may remember my comments about a previous book I read back in December called “Good Boss, Bad Boss”, so you already know that I never planned to be a boss, but fell into this role when I decided to start my own business … so I wouldn’t have a boss. Well, now I am the boss. And the learning continues …

It is difficult to review a book as helpful or not until I’ve had the opportunity to put the items I’ve learned into practice. Further, to really really have a fair assessment of whether this book was helpful, we should probably need to ask my staff to comment back in a couple of months, since they are the only true judges here.

Until that entertaining day arrives, I can report that this book gave me much to think about, want to practice and study.

No pressure, but here is a direct quote that gave me night sweats right from the beginning chapter:

“Your employees are, like you and I, flawed and hopeful human beings whose success is at least partly dependent on your skill as a manager; human being who will thrive with skillful and consistent attention and wither without it.”

Yikes. If I was ever motivated to keep reading, that would be it.

The author continues:

“Kind of like plants. (Thus the gardening metaphor you’ll notice throughout the book, from which I intend to wring every last drop by the end of the final chapter.)

And she does. Ad nauseum. And I have a thing about overworked metaphors. She keeps running back and forth over this one, but I bravely read on … and on. {You have been warned}.

Just to get the things I didn’t like about this book out of the way, the only other issue I had was where she role-played with made-up boss-to-employee scenerios. They were so forced … and honestly, a little uncomfortable to read. It’s difficult to explain, but there are no conversations that are that linear or endings that perfectly wrapped-up.

Okay, enough of the critisicisms, here are the bits and pieces that I found really helpful, which far out weighed the negative.  These are in no particular order and taken directly from my own notes of things I’d like to go back and read, explore, study learn and test on my staff in the near future (heads up to my team!). You may read this book and take different notes — there’s a lot in here and I may be focusing on different areas where I need help/advice more than your own takeaways, but here it goes:

  • Uncover where I can offer opportunities for my team to learn, advance, create professional connections and where I can mentor;
  • Listening well (and sincerely) is the key to creating an environment that suports employee growth;
  • Managing our “self-talk” (a way of making sure what we say to ourselves inside our head is always supportive and of the results we are trying to achieve – no more negative thinking). When we change our self-talk, we can have a significant impact on how we feel and in-turn, on how we behave;
  • Create job descriptions that focus primarily on responsibilities and results;
  • Learn how to ‘scenario-base interview’ (detailed in Chapter 3) to get better information from candidates of their skills, knowledge, and core competencies leading to better, more informed hiring decisions;
  • Getting an employee started on the right path by answering critical questions such as the “who, how, and what” about my agency, for example: “Who do I need to know?”; “How do things get done around here?”; “What is expected of me?”;
  • I believe this anyway, but a helpful reminder was this mantra (as the author referred to as the ‘coach’s mind-set’): “Believe in your employee’s potential and want to help them succeed”;
  • Learn the “Social Style™ Model” (Chapter 6) which is a simple, practical tool for understanding the differences between my employees (from one another, but also from my style) so that I can work with their strengths to bring out their best potential and help them grow;
  • Teach myself how to make clear agreements with each employee to ensure we continue to grow as a team;
  • Learn how to better provide corrective feedback;
  • Ask my employees ‘curiosity-based questions’ to check their levels of interest and motivation in certain areas;
  • Stick with continuing my learning path towards being the best manager/employer I can be. To quote the author, “Mastery arises when you’re passionate about something, you have the capacity to excel in that area, and excelling in that area will give you some reward that’s deeply important to you.”
My last comment regarding this book is that I regret not purchasing the hard copy (I bought the e-book to read on my iPad). This book is really a workbook (as you can see from my list above), and although I’ve finished reading the book, in some ways, I feel I’m at the beginning. I am considering purchasing the hard copy version so that I can go back through the areas of interest and make notes (she provides worksheets in the book). I’m am starting to read my June book, “Thinkertoys”, but not putting down this May book just yet … Stay tuned!
~Amy

{image: flickr} 

Noted :: Blogging for Business – FAQ’s

Posted June 4th, 2013 in Blog, Noted | 1 Comment

Source: girlphotoblogs.com via Rosalinda on Pinterest

 

Many people don’t associate blogging as a form of social media, but it is. In fact, blogging can do more then your average social media platform. It drives traffic to your website, creates content for you to share and can even position you as an expert or thought leader in your field. Companies, businesses and brands of all sizes are writing and sharing content using blogs – some are using them well and some aren’t even sure where to begin. Whatever level a brand or business is at, we’re often asked the same questions while helping to jump start a blog. Today, we’re exploring three of our most frequently blogging for business questions:

Source: getsocialwithamy.com via Amy on Pinterest

 

1. What are some of the best tactics to drive traffic to your blog?

Creating a blog is easy, but building a blog following can be the most difficult part of the process. Quality content within your blog is the key element to drive traffic to your blog. Knowing your target audience, and creating content that they will want to read, respond to and share, will help keep your followers engaged and drive new traffic. Also, establishing yourself as an expert in your field through thought leadership would be another way to get your blogs name out into your industry. Making sure your blog is SEO friendly, as well as using links and keywords will help your blog rank higher and be more visible on Google and other search engines. Cross-promoting your blog on multiple Social Media platforms will also increase traffic to your blog – you could also use an app like NetworkBlogs on Facebook to have your site listed on a blog directory. Guest bloggers will also drive traffic to your blog – not only having guest bloggers provide posts on your blog, but you blogging for other sites. Cross promoting your blog, even outside of your industry, will open up a new wave of readers and followers.

Source: flickr.com via Catherine on Pinterest

 

2. How much time per week should you allocate to maintaining your blog? If you’re your posting frequency can’t be daily – what’s the recommended amount of posting frequency?

This question can be answered with one phrase: quality over quantity. When you’re blogging, it’s more about what your writing then how much you’re posting. However, an inconsistently updated blog can cause readers to stray from reading your blog on a regular basis. The general consensus is 3-4 times per week would be suitable for updating a blog if you can’t post daily. It is important to have a consistent stream of content flowing through your blog – keeping your readers engaged and interested is the ultimate goal. Your posts don’t need to be lengthy – short, to-the-point and action-oriented blog posts are what will keep your readers engaged and coming back for more.

Source: stylifyyourblog.com via Kayla on Pinterest

 

3. How do you measure the success of your blog?

This is one of the hardest questions we receive about blogging as everyone measures success differently. Some measure by the amount of followers, other by web analytics and number of page views. We think that success doesn’t have to be measured just in numbers – a blog is about building a community of followers. We’d rather have 50 core followers then 150,000 followers that never give our blog a second look. If your core audience is engaged with your blog, we’d call that a success. If you’re looking for a way to measure your own success, aside from analytics and page clicks, start with the foolproof way we discussed in a previous blog post. Create an internal list of specific goals and measurable objectives that will help you to stay on target and measure your own success.

Do you have any questions you’d like to see answered on our blog? Leave us a comment below and we might make it a blog post!

~Allyson