Brick and Click

July 28 Social Media + Marketing + Strategic Communication Workshop

The next in a series of Brick and Click Solutions training/workshops will be held Saturday, July 28, from 11a-2:30pm, at the popular Iron Bridge Wine Company and Restaurant on Main Street in Old Town Warrenton, Va. We'll be gathering in the reserved Stone Cellar - pictured below - for a terrific time of learning, networking and fabulous food.

"If you've been invited to be a part of a social media/Facebook Workshop, sign up now. I learned a ton about using Facebook as a marketing tool for my photography studio.  Because of what I learned from Jeff, my fan base tripled in 3 weeks.  A lot of workshops can be useless, but anything put together by Brick and Click would be a wise investment of both money and time."

~ Lauri Bridgeforth, owner, Full Frame Photography (Winchester, VA)

This workshop and presentation will be focused on having a vibrant, effective presence and strategy across the Social Web, with a deep focus on Facebook. Whether you're a business professional, marketer, small business owner, work for a major brand, military organization or other org, you'll come away with gobs of usable information and strategies that apply to your unique situation and needs. My workshops are designed to be impactful for experienced social communicators/marketers ... as well as those who are newer to the digital scene. 

This workshop will cover:

• Where we are, where we're going - an overview of what's taking place across the social web
• Facebook changes - Timeline for Pages, how to build, engage with, serve Fan community. LOTS of changes lately. Numerous tips and strategies that you're likely not aware of
• Customizing Facebook - using third party apps to easily customize and manage Page Tabs. Also, Cover and Profile Images, and Optimizing your page and personal presence.
• PPC advertising - should you? Tips, strategies
• Mobile - an overview of the fast evolving mobile landscape
• Metrics - how to quickly and efficiently monitor what you're doing, so you can adjust strategy
• Twitter - tips, time management, how to be heard through the noise and build community
• Hootsuite - manage/schedule Twitter content and track metrics
• Blogging - should you blog? Finding your voice
• Pinterest -  why it's the third most popular social network
• Linkedin - why you AND your business need an updated, living/breathing profile in this 160 million strong biz focused nework
• connecting the dots
• it's a workshop - personalized instruction and hands-on help

The workshop (event here on Facebook) includes lunch, refreshments and private venue. If you haven't been before, you're in for a treat. Cost for 3.5 hour workshop, lunch and venue is $150. Special discounts for multiple seat purchases, military public affairs and Greater Warrenton Chamber of Commerce members (contact for details). Early bird discount ended July 18th.

“Jeff set the standard of how to manage one of the largest social communities in the federal government--Army.mil--and along the way influenced Dept. of Defense Social Media policy. In a field that is often filled with self-proclaimed experts and blowhards, he is one of the few social media thought leaders who is able to define and translate tangible and measurable value from a medium that many find hard to quantify or define.”

 ~ Yancey Hall, former Senior Web Strategist at L-3 Communications, Associate at Booze Allen Hamilton

 
Includes limited follow-up questions and 6 month subscription to the B&C client-only e-mail newsletter. Seating is limited. Your seat is reserved by electronic payment (via Paypal, takes any credit card). Contact me, Jeff Crites, via email or phone with any questions and for invoicing. Other contact points to connect across the social web are found on my contact tab, and via social buttons in upper right side of website.  See my Linkedin profile for a detailed view of work experience and skills, with 30 recommendations and counting.

call 540.729.2742
email:  jeff@brickandclick.com

WiFi available, feel free to bring a laptop so you can work on your own project(s) during the class. Presentation is on main screen ... so laptops are optional.

Guaranteed to be well worth your time.  See you at the Bridge Saturday, July 28th! ~ Jeff

UPDATE: If you couldn't make this workshop, no worries! You'll have more opportunities. The next workshop will be held at Iron Bridge on Saturday August 18th. Official event info will be posted soon, but feel free to contact me now to reserve your seat(s), Early Bird pricing in effect! And extra special discounts for military, area chamber members, and multi-seat purchases.

I'm also happy to come to you ... host a private workshop/training event at your business or organization, at a day/time that's best for you. Small to large groups, one-on-one sessions in person or via online screen sharing, with affordable fees and training that's cutomized to meet your unique needs.

DC Dunkin' Donuts Gets Social

Hats off to the crew at DC Dunkin' Donuts ... via their Twitter profile, a "local, independent Dunkin' Donuts franchisee group based in DC, MD and NoVa". They picked up on a tweet of mine on Monday, July 2nd .. the first work/weekday following the destructive 'Super Derecho' storm that tore through the DC Metro area on Friday, June 29th. I was responding to a tweet from someone I know that works at Fort Belvoir (@fort_belvoir), after he mentioned the Dunkin' Donuts on the base was without power and closed. A coffee fiend and nerd, I asked if the Starbucks on the base was open, and a friendly conversation ensued, as seen below, with the local Dunkin' team.

They 'get' social. From the friendly and smart banter on Twitter, to the way they left a huge impression on me via a snail mail package. This is what 'brick and click' is all about. The way brands and people connect and communicate offline and online. And the package I recieved, within a few days of the Twitter conversation (it moved to direct message as well, as they asked for my mailing address and were just plain fun and nice to chat with), contained some terrific stuff. They sent me a $5 card to make purchases at Dunkin' ... a Free Iced Coffee coupon, a big 'DD' magnet (now is on my fridge), and most importantly, a personalized note that says the following:

Hi Jeff

Great to connect with you on Twitter.

I've attached a quick card for your next Ft Belvoir post Derecho roaDD trip!

Go forth and conquer!

Warm Regards

Mark Gundersen on behalf of Dunkin' Donuts Capitol Market Region

Mark actually read a blog post I penned about the Derecho storm and the way various businesses and organizations, like Ft Belvoir, communicated and helped people via social media. I love the playfulness of using double DDs in words (roaDD). It was a homerun across the board, and a perfect example of the way you can connect with, impress ... and potentiall convert people to brand loyalists and advocates via social media AND traditional channels as well. I haven't been to a Dunkin' Donuts in a long time. Part of the reason is there isn't one nearby, and I know all Starbucks locations by heart, using them as a 'third place' to work from sometimes.  But ... next time I'm at Ft Belvoir, or pass a Dunkin' Donuts elsewhere, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll pop in for a visit. And you can credit Mark and his colleagues for the terrific, customer-centric impression they've made on me. They 'get social'. Do you??

 

The Pretend Friend: Linkedin Etiquette 101

If you've ever sent a request to connect on Linkedin, choosing the 'friend' option ... and you don't know the person in the slightest, this blog post if for you. Linkedin is NOT Twitter. It's a professional business network with certain barriers in place that make it more challenging to connect with people. And that's a good thing.

It's not a contest to connect with the most people. It's a place to connect or re-connect with people you've met (in person or online), worked with or worked for, in some form or fashion. It can also be that place you first meet someone, via groups, Inmails and such. But if your first instinct is to fire off  a bunch of connection requests the easy way, via the 'friend' option, your first instict is wrong. Do a little homework, locate the person's e-mail address, choose 'other', and insert e-mail. And then - this is key - tailor an introductory message so it's not the pre-populated, impersonal form note.

There are no second chances to make great first impressions.

 

Derecho Storm: (Missed?) Opportunity to Serve and Inform Via Social Media

The Friday, June 29 line of thunderstorms that tore through the Washington DC metro area was described by a term I'd never heard of before, a rare weather system known as a 'derecho'. A Spanish word meaning 'straight', a derecho refers to the storm's powerful, straight-line winds ... winds in this case that topped 80mph, equivalent to a Cat 1 hurricane. VA Governor Bob McDonnell said the storm "caused the broadest non-hurricane related power outage in Virginia history". It's also one of the biggest opportunities for numerous orgs, media outlets and businesses to super-serve hard hit communities.

I'm thankful we didn't lose power, other than a string of annoying hiccups where power went out for a few seconds to a minute at most.  With temperatures setting triple digit records beginning Friday afternoon, just hours before the storm's arrival, loss of power was and is more than just an annoyance for hundreds of thousands of people - and pets - in the region I call home. 

As I remained glued to my laptop, iPhone and TV throughout the weekend, I noticed a profound difference in the way various entities leveraged social media to inform and 'pitch in' during this emergency. Fort Belvoir, the nation's 3rd largest Army installation, went into overdrive, utilizing Facebook and Twitter  to hyper serve base personnel, their families and extended community with power outage updates and critical info about cooling centers, traffic issues and more. I've been following the VA Dept of Emergency Management Page since the super rare 5.8 earthquake rocked my area in August of last year. VDEM has been churning out tons of impactful info since Friday's storm hit.

WTOP has been leveraging its robust digital presence (read: WTOP restructures newsroom for digital, Dec 2011) to augment an all-news radio voice that's well known to the affected region. Recently launched competitor WNEW made a great move by taking over a sister CBS music station's signal, relaying all-news coverage to enhance its reach during this crisis (hat tip to DCRTV.com). Both radio stations have been weaving social engagement into on-air news coverage and conversation. WNEW is persistently asking its listeners to tweet storm thoughts and situations to @WNEWNews using hashtag #DMVStorm. In some areas, with mobile networks down as well, many are dusting off battery powered radios to get important updates.

One particular traditional/new media hybrid really caught my attention: InsideNoVA, covering hard-hit Prince William County (it lost its 911 service), has been steadily building a vibrant Facebook and Twitter presence. In addition to a steady flow of info, InsideNoVA's active and sizeable community constantly peppers its page with questions, updates and helpful tips, adding a crowdsourced army of citizen reporters to a news service whose roots go back 143 years. Contrast that with other local news outlets who don't have their social sea legs yet ... who still lack the vision or will to fully bridge the digital divide. My county's main news outfit has been in existence for 195 years, and unfortunately, as evidenced by one tiny Facebook blurb since the storm hit, still acts like it's 1817. Many in my county, myself included, are now going to FauquierNow.com, a one year old hyperlocal upstart with double the Facebook fans of its 200 year old competitor. And while FNow needs improvement - a visually appealing, more usable website for one - it's a big step in the right direction.

Those who weren't prepared, who don't understand the long-term value and impact of social media, are missing an incredible opportunity to serve their community, and make lasting connections and positive impressions. I've looked and looked far to see how area businesses have communicated - or not communicated - since Friday's storm hit, and one thing is crystal clear: most missed the train completely. Dominion Virginia Power is not one of those, thankfully. DomVA, literally at the center of the storm with its army of power line crews working non-stop to get the juice flowing again, is doing a superb job communicating via Facebook and Twitter. Home services businesses come to mind as having great potential to be key sources of information and help in this type of situation ... electrical service shops in particular with so many power related issues. Electricians with years of experience and a wealth of knowledge could pass some of that along - not as a marketing pitch - but as a way of helping the community. Does it add marketing value? Of course! But that shouldn't be the main focus.

In times of crisis, drop the pitch, and pitch in. Unfortunately, across the board, nothing but silence since Friday from home services providers, until one blog post I came across today pitching home generators as a power outage solution. Note: I have former and current home services clients. I know very well how busy they are doing their physical jobs each day, and how challenging it is to get people 'socially' interested in their message and services, as valuable as they may be. I've made it a mission to try to help inform the public about, for instance, the value of electrical safety inspections, because residential electrical fires kill and injure scores each year and cause tremendous property damage. But they're not shops or restaurants you frequent or hang out at. You may only use/need them once a year, or in time of crisis. But when that moment comes, you may really appreciate all they do. And if you the business operator are 'social ready and willing' ... all of that hard work, persistence, time and money invested can pay off, for those you serve, and for your business itself.  

I follow a ton of businesses, large and small, near and far, via Facebook, Twitter, blog RSS feeds and such. Part of it is business related, part of it is to stay informed about stuff I like. And while it's nice to know which restaurants are open for business - power on and staff ready to serve - it would be even nicer to see local business communities come together and leverage their collective voices to pass along impactful information ... from Fire/Rescue orgs, police, hospitals, gov't, media and citizen-generated content. When the first thing out of your social mouth is "hey, the power is on, come on in and enjoy a steak dinner!" ... you're mostly just marketing. You're using a crisis as a way to pitch yourself, as opposed to pitching in during a crisis as a way to help people. Did you get that? Do you see the difference? Build a robust digital presence - the 'click' that compliments your 'brick' ... to grow your business. But remember that the hard work requried to build and manage and nurture that digital presence can pay big dividends when that moment comes, in this case blowing in at 80mph at 10pm on a Friday. You'll be ready, willing and able to be more than a business. You'll be a valued member of the community, and you won't miss the train. The community won't forget, I promise.

There will be more trains (opportunities). Will you be ready??