This is my presentation from the iAcquire Content Meetup last week - it details how you CAN overcome the madness of marketing content created without a strategy. 

Some other great speakers were there - you can check out more information about the event here and more about content marketing & content strategy (do you know the difference?) here.

See how we were able to create strategy to lead what seemed like an underdog project to a championship ending in one shining moment. Learn the lessons along the way - with a little bit of help from some of the winningest coaches in college basketball.

Antoinette,

I’ve known you since I was born, and over the last quarter of a century, I’ve been blessed and lucky to have you in my life as the most generous & glamorous partner and crime and confidante a girl could ask for.

Over the years, you’ve been there for me & given me advice on so many important life subjects – fashion (we shared a love for red patent leather shoes), love (you always took my side & accurately referred to my exes as schmucks), friends (you knew what a great friend was because you were one), miscellaneous grievances (you were the only one who continued to call me Rosebud after I decided at age 8 that’s what my name should be changed to), and you always knew just what to say to my mom so I’d be in a little less trouble by the time I got home. A cup of coffee – Starbucks, of course – and a chat with you always put a smile on my face.

You had that effect on others, too. No matter where you went, your charm, intellect and intriguing life stories drew people to you. You were never afraid to throw on a fur coat over your pajamas, top it off with a sequined baseball cap and go out visit a friend, even if your hair wasn’t done. I looked forward to your arrival at family dinners – because, as you know, you are definitely family to us – not just because you never forgot to bring the wine (which only the two of us really drank) but also because of the way you lit up the room with jokes and stories, ensuring that there was laughter at every occasion you attended. 

Beyond your ebullience, the way you so generously loved those close to you is without comparison. You were always there to take my calls – no matter what time of night, you assured me you were up anyway. You never forgot a single important thing going on in the life of anyone close to you, and you always were the first to want to celebrate a victory, no matter how small. 

Thanksgiving wasn’t the same without you joking about us going to line up for the midnight Black Friday sales or jesting that you and grandma were going to hit the bars after dinner, so we better be ready to bail you out of the “pokey.” In fact, that’s only the tip of the iceberg of what I’ll miss about you. 

Although I can no longer pick up the phone to call you for advice on what to wear on a first date or go meet you for a chat – with Alexa in tow, you always let me know the pup was welcome – the love you gave me and others around you as well as the lessons you taught us about enjoying life to the fullest will always be there to help us through even the hardest of times.

Your Rosebud loves and misses you very much, and I will carry you with me in my heart every day. But, I know that no matter where you are now, you’re watching over us & cheering us on in all we do… that is, when you aren’t too busy making heaven that much more fabulous. 

xoxo,
Rosebud

Six times. Almost seven.

If you've ever moved before, you know fully well that it is a pain in the you-know-what. Packing up everything you own carefully into boxes, carrying the heavy boxes and various pieces of furniture one by one down stairs (if you're lucky it's less than three flights), loading up a moving van or a very kind friend's truck, driving to your new abode, dragging said boxes and furniture up stairs (three flights again, are you kidding me?!), and then unpacking and arranging.

Within the last couples years, I have done all of the above six times, and move number seven is coming up in less than a month. All of my moves were for different reasons, ranging from celebratory important life milestones (ex: college graduation), to not so pleasant but equally important occasions (ex: a breakup), to the anticlimactic and inevitable ending of a lease. 

When you move that much, you learn to condense things in your life. Do you really need that ugly drawer-residing penguin figurine your ex painted for you on a date four years ago? How many bottles of hair products constitute "too many?" Since when did you ever wear this purple sweater? What's left over, no matter how small or large, whether it's a ticket stub from a Milwaukee Brewers spring training game or a homemade mau5head, holds meaning for you. If it meant nothing, you wouldn't bother to keep carrying it with you.

The same goes for people. People come and go in our lives, but although we may not feel as if we choose to invite them in or feel as if we consciously toss them in the bin with that cast off purple sweater, we often are those who make the final decision as to who stays or goes- based upon the effort (or lack thereof) we make. We have friends in all shapes and sizes- some are family who we don't exactly pick ourselves, some are friends we meet in all facets of our lives. Some need more attention than others, some are better suited to handle some situations than others, some are better for the good times, some are better for support. This does not make any of them worth more than the rest, but it shows the range in which we can amicably co-exist, the same as we may fit into the lives of those very same people. 

And, let me tell you, if you really want to know who is there for you: move six times. There is no better person in the entire world than one who will help you move. No matter how much beer you promise, it is not pleasant lifting others' heavy belongings in the middle of a humid Indiana summer. 

Literal moving aside, we all make changes in our lives that are equally comparable, if not even more considerable, than a change of residence. Some years, we do this more so than others. Those who will help us do the 'heavy lifting' emotionally are invaluable, because they love us and support us as well as our goals, with no promised benefit to them except for our happiness. 

So, examine your life. Look at who is still around- not just existing in the realm of your life, but really there for you. When have you last thanked the people who have "moved" you over the years, whether it be physically or in an intangible way? There's obviously a reason they're still around. Do not carelessly let them go the way of the sweater, go the extra mile to show them you appreciate that they have done the same in many ways for you. Tell them creatively what it is that makes them so wonderful or simply that you appreciate all that they do. Simple words, written or spoken, are more meaningful than any gift you could give them, yet we often get too caught up in our own daily narratives to remember this fact. Doing so will even brighten your own day.

Because when you recognize not one, but two people stand out from the rest as truly dedicated to your success, who go above and beyond to ensure you feel supported, happy, and loved, and who are always the first to dry your tears, find solutions to your problems, or open a bottle of wine to celebrate your achievements- you discover that although sometimes (always) moving sucks, you're pretty darn lucky to have some great people to carry in your heart with you no matter where you go. And, if you're lucky, they might even carry some boxes up three flights of stairs for you. 

Thank you so much, mom & dad, for everything over the last 24 years!
I promise I won't make either of you carry any boxes during move number seven!

Whether or not you are using social media in a personal or professional capacity, your end game is the same: to promote a brand. 

This can be your personal brand, your company’s brand, or even a mix of the two, such as promoting yourself as an expert in a certain niche. If you’d like to explore how to create an online presence for yourself or your company, please contact me (mbrown918@gmail.com) for a consulting session. 


You should definitely hire me if @alexatheyorkie has more followers than you (209 & counting)

Once you’ve established what your purpose is, you’re ready to expand your network. Here are a few quick tips for making friends and influencing people via Twitter. Again- if you’d like more information, please feel free to e-mail me to set up an appointment!

Tip #1: Repeat after me: “I am NOT Justin Bieber.”

Justin Bieber has over 17 million Twitter followers. Kim Kardashian has over 13 million Twitter followers. Ashton Kutcher has over 9 million Twitter followers. You, most likely, will not.

These celebrities are a prime example of how no matter how good your SEO/PR/marketing department/awesome consultant named Megan is, you will most likely not garner this many Twitter followers ever – at least not without some sort of offline popularity. And that’s ok. Most people on Twitter aren’t celebrities, and beyond that, you should NOT be so follower number focused. 

The prime rookie mistake people/companies make is assuming that Twitter is a numbers game. It isn't. 100 engaged followers are far more valuable than 5,000 silent ones. I usually tell clients (jokingly) that if they only want to gain numbers, they might as well spend their money just literally buying followers - which is possible, but in all reality, I strongly advise against it. You don’t want people mindlessly retweeting links to articles you’ve written without actually reading the article. You want to find your niches and become renowned within those one or two areas – not join “team followback” or run gimmicks and become lost in the crowd as just another social media spammer. 

Twitter is a platform for you to share and promote yourself, but also to engage. If you’ve spent time writing a blog post or creating a product- don’t you want people to read it or buy it? Just ‘existing’ is not enough- engagement is the key to success.

Once you accept that Twitter is NOT about numbers, but about engagement, then you will become both a social media contributor as well as a thought leader- and people will flock to you for valid reasons that don’t involve your derrière (I’m looking at you, Kim K). 

Tip #2: You can’t buy love. 

I’ve already stated outright buying followers is a practice that makes me cringe. However, many Twitter users think they have come up with more clever ways to do the exact same thing. Here’s a hint: It’s not as clever as you’d think and it involves everyone’s favorite words. 

FREE STUFF. Not going to lie, those words do get my attention when I see them. I love free stuff! In fact, I will even take bribes! But that doesn’t mean I’ll fulfill my end of the deal- and, like me, the internet is a very fickle place. 

Giveaways, contests and promotions do have their value, but when you are on a small scale to start, they are usually inefficient cost-wise, especially depending on which platform you advertise them on. You’ll probably end up with a lot of spammy followers just for tweeting the word “free.” Those who do enter your contests probably already had some respect for your reputation to begin with. While it’s great to reward those who stood behind you from the very first tweet, you should probably wait to build up a following before you do so. Then, more people than your mom and mooching second cousin will enter to win it- and those who do win will be a lot more apt to tweet about what a wonderful new experience/product/kitten you’ve given them because they beat out all those other people. 

You can’t buy followers, directly or indirectly- at least not ones who will last.

Tip #3: If you’ve got it, flaunt it.

You have an e-mail address, you’re on Facebook, you’re on LinkedIn, you might be on G+, you have that MySpace you made ten years ago, and you should probably delete your Friendster account. 

WHY NOT USE THEM TO YOUR ADVANTAGE? 

Leverage is your best friend. Put simply, the leverage process is strengthening and using what outlets you already have (your website(s), social media profiles) as well as creating other profiles you may need on niche social media networks (outreach blogs, maybe getting involved on niche forums, etc). Through these, it's very simple to naturally build followers via reputation and outreach by creating your site as a resource as well as valuable participant in your niche. 

From putting your Twitter handle in your e-mail signature, to adding a Twitter widget to your WordPress site, to making your family and friends wear shirts that say “@thatgirlmegan knows more about #baseball than I do” (oh yes, this is going to happen), get the word out to the people you already know and to people you want to know! 

Use hashtags more often or join a Twitter chat relating to your area of expertise to meet others with similar interests. Your Twitter bio is even searchable on Google: REWRITE IT. Cute quote Twitter bios are for celebrities and people’s dogs. There are a million articles online about what is searchable, what you can optimize, which niche networks are the most important in your area. Go read them! And if you want someone to do the work for you, then pay me to do it (For real. I do this for a living, make sure my yorkie gets to eat tonight)!

Optimize every aspect of not just your Twitter profile and tweets, but also your other social networks as well. You may have already done this in some respect, but please take a second look and make sure you are sticking to your message: you or your company’s brand. Yes, you have more interests than kung fu fighting, homemade piñatas, and Bratz dolls, but if you want to garner an audience, you need to be focused. Once in a while you can Tweet about other topics, but without a message it is very difficult for people to connect with you or know what you/your company is really about.

You’re on the internet for a reason. Make it known on every outlet possible- but be careful to not fatigue audiences by overdoing it.

Tip #4: Put a ring on it.

Take the plunge: Get engaged! …with your Twitter audience, that is.

What you want is to make people come to you, not have to ‘follow for a follow.’ By participating in niche conversations, Twitter chats, forums, etc. you establish yourself as a resource on your niche topics. Once you become a resource, you gain reputation. Once you have a strong reputation you become a thought leader. Once you become a thought leader… the possibilities of influence are endless.

Engagement is a bit more in depth than just simply ‘talking,’ though. Analyze who the existing thought leaders are in your interested publics (audiences), why these personalities or organizations are thought leaders, and then engage with them as well as their followers. Again- if you don’t want to do this groundwork, I don’t blame you. Hire me to do it for you! 

At first, you will be in a way riding these thought leaders’ coattails, however, this is integral in order to get them to help you build your reputation without outright stating your agenda. You'll at first gain followers via osmosis, but then others in your niche will naturally start coming to you as you yourself are established as a thought leader.

Tip #5: Use your powers for good.

Google is changing its search algorithm to better reflect user/site online reputation, and it is because this is exactly what internet users want. When you want to read the news, you look for a brand name news site that speaks to you - even if it is a niche site, for some reason you trust its reputation. 

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I’m pretty sure it burned down in less than that. The same goes for your online reputation. Make sure that all of your outlets are accurately reflecting what you stand for- even your personal sites that have a limited audience. You never know who is looking over someone’s shoulder. If you are having someone else manage your social profiles for you or your company, feel free to lay down some ground rules so that they know what is expected in regards to language, tone, and personality. 

A tweet can be deleted, but its impact lasts a lot longer than those 140 characters it took just a few seconds to type. Make sure you aren’t losing clients or alienating followers due to something as simple as straying from you or your company’s values. Yes, you should have personality and be yourself- putting a face on a company, even, is always a good idea. But you should know the norm within your area so that you are familiar with what will and won’t be acceptable to those around you.

I know this may seem simple, but even a misplaced curse word can cost you. Know what it takes to fit in with your peers in your industry or niche. You don’t need to use Howard Stern tactics to be noticed (unless that’s common in your area). You will stand out because you provide quality content, relevant contributions, entertainment value, and, most importantly, a standard of excellence.

Bonus! Tip #6: Hire me!

I'm in the business of creating resources and reputation, not adding meaningless numbers or page hits. 

No one can truly brand themselves as a social media expert, given the changing atmosphere of the online community as well as the fluid nature of technology. 

However, my 6 plus years of experience helping companies build their online social media reputations gives me room to confidently state that I have enough online marketing and mixed media experience to know what works and what doesn't. 

From creating strategy in the hospitality industry with Schahet Hotels, a franchise that owns and operates Hilton and Intercontinental brand hotels, to social media consulting in the entertainment industry with Playboy Golf, I have efficiently and effectively been able to create messaging, improve ranking, garner followers on all social media and relevant niche media platforms, all while strengthening online reputation. 

I'd love to help you build an online reputation via social media!

Here are a few ways to get in touch with me so I can help you and/or your business become a respected social media thought leader in your industry:

E-mail: mbrown918@gmail.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thatgirlmegan

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/thatgirlmegan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/megan.brown

Google+: https://plus.google.com/104925629302385815418

Site: http://www.thatgirlmegan.com

"Courage is fire. And bullying is smoke."
- Benjamin Disraeli

I broke a coffee mug yesterday. I want to say it was on accident. But it wasn't. In fact, at the time I was enabling its breakage (which is a fancy way of saying 'unceremoniously hurling it at the floor') I didn't even feel a single ounce of remorse.

This is new for me. I get angry, sure, but never violent.  I have never actually broken something (on purpose), whether it is a painted piece of porcelain or someone's nose. I am not an angry person. But, lately, in the last few months, enough has been enough.
Make fun of me for being a Duke fan?
Keep it classy!

I have apologized thousands of times for things that are not my fault simply so that the issue could be resolved, the friendship repaired, and the      fight forgotten. Hallmark has probably made hundreds off of me from cards I have bought for perturbed parents, sullen sorority sisters, or boyfriends with bad behavior. From discussions with friends and family, I do not argue or disagree with anyone more than the average person does. Although I stand up for myself when the issue at hand is important, sometimes I have decided to 'just let things go' and decide that a friendship or intimacy is far more valuable than an ex accidentally washing chapstick with the whites or my grandmother forgetting my dog's name for the millionth time. A relationship, in my nonscientific opinion, is 99% of the time more valuable than whatever started the argument to begin with.

But what do you do when you don't know who the person provoking you is? There is no known relationship to fix because he or she chosen to hide behind the anonymity that a technologically advanced age has allowed him or her to assume. Even the most superficial emotions of anger have nowhere to be directed, but it is hard to forget the offense. Who takes time out of their day to anonymously harass someone on the internet?

Apparently a lot of people. Cyber bullying is finally getting the attention it deserves. Although at first I found a lot of their campaigns laughable, but the statistics and real stories are hardly a joke. According to anti-cyber bullying group i-SAFE, 42% of kids have been bullied while online. 1 in 4 have had it happen more than once. There have been cyber bullying related suicides by children who just could not handle the intimidation and cruelty.

And here is where my shattered coffee mug enters into the equation. The catalyst for my out-of-character action was the result of an incredibly invasive, crude, and cruel message sent through a social media outlet. At first, when I saw it, I was appalled. What was written, due to content, had to have been composed by someone who not only knows me, but knows intimate details about my life. After shock, all I could feel was anger. Who would be such a coward that they could not ask a question or say these things to my face? Why were they unable to keep such disgustingly rude thoughts to themselves rather than splatter them sloppily all over my otherwise normal day? And, most importantly, why were they masquerading as a friend if they honestly couldn't be bothered to bring up the conversation in person?

Cyber bullying is real, and it is not just limited to children - although the adults who engage in cyber bullying might as well be acting like mean spirited schoolchildren. Studies in the UK show that one in 10 employees feel as if they are victims of cyber bullying in the workplace alone. I know I am not alone. I know some of you who are reading this can commiserate. As someone who has long been the number one fan of both technology and every form of social media possible, I urge you to join me - we must not let the magnitude of possibilities available with these advances turn into a nuclear project of power we cannot control or dedicate to doing good. There will always be a darker side to almost every discovery, but we, as individuals, can do what we can to rein in this misuse. This is not first time you may have heard this, but I cannot reiterate it enough: Those 'report' buttons are there for a reason. We must do our best to behave online the same way we would face-to-face. And we must discourage online anonymity among social networks. There is hardly a place for it. We must hold ourselves online to the exact same standards we would offline.

Maybe I am not right for reacting the way I did, but let's get one thing straight: It definitely took me longer to clean up that coffee mug than it did for Mr. or Ms. Anonymous to send me that miserly missive. And, although I am much more educated for it, I'd still prefer whoever you are to stay out of both my life AND my inbox.

"If everything seems under control, you just aren't going fast enough." - Mario Andretti

I was going to write this blog entry about how yesterday at around 9:30 am, I received my first speeding ticket. EVER. I was on I-465 heading north to work at the Cheesecake Factory. As I continued on (at a much safer speed) to work, the words were already bouncing around in my head - descriptions of the stricken feeling when I saw those blue and red lights flash in my rearview mirror, comparisons of my shameless bawling to babies/girls watching the Notebook, and, of course, a rant on how much my Mellencamp-esque fight with authority (sort of) would cost me.

But then I got to work. And before I even finished my story, my coworkers were already sharing their own run ins with the law (some as tame as mine, some much more interesting). As we talked (and laughed) over our mistakes and misdemeanors, I began to feel better.  I was already receiving free advice how to get out of my next ticket (cry harder, show cleavage), how to handle the ticket in court (cry more, show cleavage), and how to deal with the insurance company (I bet you can guess). Although their advice may or may not have been helpful, it definitely made my situation a lot more bearable (well, until I found out where the fine money actually goes). Everyone had something to contribute to the discussion - whether it was their sympathies or stories.

Then and there, standing in the employee breakroom, it hit me. Even though this was my first speeding ticket (EVER.), there was nothing inherently special about it. It's definitely not a milestone, Hallmark doesn't even make a card for events like this (yet. do you hear me, David Hall?). I was neither the first or the last person to ever receive (or earn, if you want to take ownership of the situation) a speeding ticket, and I wasn't even the first or last to receive one in that exact same patch of highway (speed limit 55, for future reference).

Yet, isn't that what life is about? If something happens, and you don't tell anyone about it, did it really impact your life? Literally, yes. If I don't pay that ticket, whether I told anyone I got it or not, the courts will take notice. But also, in a way - if you don't tell anyone, it didn't even make a blip on your radar of being. Everyone you know has someone they always talk to about something - even if it's calling my brother to tell him about how I was harassed in downtown Indy while wearing a Duke jersey (oops), relating to Erin at work regarding man issues, or dialing my college roommate/bff Dina to discuss everything from cheese cubes (yes, really) to a cute sweater I saw on sale at J. Crew to military policy. No one experience is a single event - it would be impossible to live life vividly without the exchange of perspective and opinion. Both our eyes and minds would be closed to new experiences.

Then there's you - my social media besties (feel special). I blip new fist pump worthy techno songs on blip.fm, tweet the first thing that crosses my mind when I wake up in the morning, update my Facebook with photos from my latest adventures, read countless blogs about everything - from cupcakes to PR strategy to college basketball. Some of you I know (and have serenaded, sorry Hayley), have met through social media (@chuckgose is an invaluable ally), have never met (but maybe we'll meet up at the NKOTBSB concert, Ashley), or have been dying to meet for years (@stephenathome, you'll never be not funny). You share your thoughts, you listen, you offer feedback - & you're always there, whether it's 2 am and there's no one else to talk to or because there's just no one else like you out there. Countless times the course of my day has changed because of something I saw on Twitter (new sandwich at @goosethemarket? yes please!), a special listed on Foursquare, or someone's Facebook status says they want a friend to watch the Colts game with.  Social media has opened up an inside peek into the lives of others we would not even know existed. It has enabled us to make friends, create stronger bonds, and therefore experience life completely differently.

Social media has made us both one in a million and one of millions. We're neither the first nor the last, but we're impactful (yes, I'm making up a word) and important in our own unique ways because of whom we share our life with - online and offline.

While we're on the topic of sharing - anyone want to 'share' my speeding ticket fine with me? Just kidding. Sort of.

This entry was originally published in my blogspot blog (here). I now will be blogging here, but feel free to take a look at past entries. :)

"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." - Nelson Mandela

Hey, internet. It's been a while. Well, actually - it hasn't been that long since I last updated my Twitter (approx 1 minute), checked Facebook (approx 2 minutes), read & responded to a blog (last night probably around midnight), responded to a LinkedIn message (one day), etc etc. My obsession with social media aside, it has been a while since I have blogged beyond my daily microblogging on Twitter (40-45 tweets a day, apparently. whew!). To be honest, I'd given up all hope on my blog until a few days ago. Let's be honest - the only people reading it were...well... the only person reading it was my mom. And while I love my mom (see, mom, I didn't even ask for money after saying that), she can talk to me anytime she wants via cell phone or in person. I focused my attention on reading and responding to other's blogs - blogs about everything! Blogs and articles about cupcakes, yorkies, college basketball, Oprah using a port-a-potty (for real)... you name it, I read it and gave my own two cents. But then I realized despite the joy I was getting out of reading and interacting with others' blogs, something was missing.

Day in and day out, I was reading books, blogs, magazines, newspapers, and I was soaking up information and engaging with people regarding what I'd learned - asking advice, debating issues, hearing opinions. And although doing all of these things is great, it suddenly occurred to me - in the middle of a job interview - that I could not remember the last time I wrote something longer than 140 characters that was purely ...me. For me. About me. I had gotten caught up in the rush of @ replies and RSS feeds that I forgot to take care of my own little corner of the internet that was mine; that I had created in the first place for the sole purpose of amusing myself & anyone else that happened to stumble across my little pieces of mind.

So, I returned from the interview with a refreshed, renewed approach to my blog. Excited to go back and write the first post since August of last year, I made a cup of coffee, put on my snuggie, opened up my laptop to turn it on and... NOTHING. My 9 month old yorkie puppy Alexa (aka 'weapon of mass destruction') had chewed through my Macbook adapter power cord, and due to the battery not being "trained" (Applespeak for 'give us more of your life savings'), the computer would not turn on.

Know this - I never back down from a challenge. Because here I am, internet! With $80 less in my wallet, maybe, but no less originality, whimsicality, and perspicacity than before. And I promise, I won't leave you ever again. So, mom, go ahead and bookmark me in your newly downloaded Google Chrome browser, because I'm here to stay - whether anyone notices or not.