Jamie Silva

fastcompany:

fastcodesign:

A Beautiful Cheat Sheet For Two Dozen Espresso-Based Drinks

Ugh. Just when you kinda sorta started to get a handle on the wide world of wine, along comes another new liquid metric for how cosmopolitan you really are (or aren’t): coffee. 

Love this one! Here’s another.

Is Social Media Anxiety Disorder, known as SMAD, the newest affliction resulting from our love affair with Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites? Researchers have stopped short of actually classifying SMAD as a disorder, but it’s no doubt a problem.

Sure, you could quit using your social sites altogether — but then you’d be, well, bored and lonely. Science may someday shed more light on social media stress, but in the meantime, we’ve gathered the most common problems associated with popular social networks so that you know what to watch out for.

Creative Flop

Are you one of the thousands of women suffering from Mason Jar Envy, the creeping sense of self-loathing that comes from feeling you’re just not as crafty as the other women on Pinterest? The “Today” show recently surveyed 7,000 American mothers and found that 42% worry they’re not crafty or creative enough. Some stayed up all night pouring through Pinterest photos, unable to stop the negative comparisons. Read more…

More about Health, Social Media, Psychology, Health Fitness, and Work Play

via Social Media http://bit.ly/193oTiH

A Facebook group is helping the victims of the massive Oklahoma tornado, which killed 51 people and left many homeless, get their belongings back

On its trail of destruction, the tornado has blown debris from houses — including people’s personal belongings and important documents — many miles away.

The Facebook group asks members to post photos of any items or documents that were blown into their yard, so that they can be returned to the rightful owners

SEE ALSO: Terrifying Eyewitness Videos of Oklahoma Tornado Go Viral

“I’m just trying to help. I couldn’t imagine losing my kids’ pictures,” Leslie Hagelberg, the group’s founder, told The Huffington Post. Read more…

More about Facebook, Social Media, Us, and Oklahoma Tornado

via Social Media http://bit.ly/19Z0qZv

Lots of people try to convince me that social media marketing isn’t about sales. It’s about building a community, interacting with people, showing the fun side of the brand—you know, being social and stuff.

I really want to slap them in the forehead and ask why they’re even doing it, then. Pull the plug. Stop wasting resources on it.

Marketing is supposed to influence consumer behavior, but what happens when marketing becomes a two-way conversation and the people who are in direct contact with consumers are not thinking like salespeople? The conversation keeps going, and nobody buys anything. That’s a lot of fun, but it won’t keep the business in business, which is an important part of business.

There are a million things we do every day that make us feel like we’ve worked hard and accomplished something. Social media is one of them. Today your social media team connected with lots of people, and you drove conversation and awareness. People commented and you commented back, and all this activity can be measured, even.

What about those sales? Did anything get sold? That’s when the excuses start to fly.

1. But social media is only about raising awareness—you know, like billboards.

The difference between a billboard and social media marketing is that if you talk to a billboard it can’t talk back. Billboards can’t have conversations, answer questions, or talk you into doing stuff. They can make you aware of something, but then you have to do something else to learn more—like visit a website, call a number, or Google it.

2. But the product is crap.

So what? Lots are. Even turds get swarmed by flies. Your job is to sexy up that turd and gather up some flies. If it’s really that bad, you shouldn’t have taken the job. Find the right audience, and connect with them. Do your job.

3. But it’s hard to connect social media data to sales figures.

Then stop trying to do that. Just look at your numbers before you start a social media campaign, promo, launch a video, run a contest, and look at them after. Are you selling more? If not, stop doing it or do it differently. If so, double down on it.

I run a digital agency, and my two biggest responsibilities include making sure new business is coming in and great work is going out. We rely 100 percent on social media for our new business development, so each day when I ask myself and our team what we accomplished today, I don’t mean the details, I mean the results. What did we do to move the needle forward for ourselves and for our clients?

4. But social media is just about building interest and demand.

Yup. Then what? Is some other team supposed to swoop in and take care of the sales part? Are you going to wait for consumers to call or email for more info or ask where they can get what you’re selling? You have a captive audience. They just need to know what to do next. Make them not only aware of your product or service but also aware of what they can do to get it and the reasons they should.

5. But it’s what the client wants.

Maybe the client is wrong. Listen to what the client wants to achieve more than how the client wants you to do it. If their ideas aren’t working, show them the pie charts. People love pie charts. They clearly tell the story while simultaneously reminding them of pie; everyone loves pie.

A few years back, my agency was pitching a viral video marketing project for IBM. The marketing director asked me, “Do you have the balls to tell us what you really think, no matter what we say?” You’re the expert in the room. Start acting like it.

By the way, I said yes—and we got the job. Now get back to work.

A version of this article first appeared on SuperCoolCreative.

(Image via)

via RSSSocialMedia http://bit.ly/10LzVpf

After the latest in a string of devastating storms slammed Oklahoma Monday afternoon, relief agencies and government officials took to the Web to provide news and opportunities to help.

Throughout Monday night and into Tuesday morning, terms such as #Oklahoma, #OKC, #Moore, Red Cross, and #PrayForOklahoma were trending topics on Twitter as people expressed their heartache and desire to help after a huge tornado tore through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, Okla.

My feed is full of tweets about Oklahoma. Sending strength to the emergency workers who have already saved so many people. Gonna be rough.

— Elle Ess (@ViaMarsala18) May 21, 2013

Officials feared as many as 91 people died as a result of the storm, the latest in a string of tornadoes to hit Oklahoma this month.

The American Red Cross communicated its efforts quickly Monday, posting a statement on its website about its plan of action.

“More than 25 emergency response vehicles are positioned to move at first light Tuesday, and we expect that the number will increase,” the message states. “The Red Cross is also sending in kitchen support trailers to support the upcoming operation to provide meals to those forced out of their homes.”

The statement also directs people to the Red Cross tornado app, which offers a shelter map and a quick way for users to let friends and family know they’re safe.

The Red Cross was also tweeting status updates regularly throughout Monday evening and Tuesday morning. A tweet from the Oklahoma Red Cross directing people to text REDCROSS to the number 90999 to make a $10 donation to victims was retweeted more than 12,500 times.

Best way to help tornado victims is to donate to the Red Cross at redcross.org or text REDCROSS to 90999. #okwx

— Red Cross Oklahoma (@redcrossokc) May 20, 2013

AT&T offered a similar tweet:

Our prayers are with #Oklahoma. AT&T wireless customers can text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 to relief efforts. soc.att.com/13EqzcE

— AT&T (@ATT) May 21, 2013

Representatives of other relief efforts tweeted links to their own fundraising pages.

The City of Moore also tweeted updates throughout the evening, responding to reports of trapped people, directing residents to the Red Cross’ “safe and well” page, and offering up a link to email updates.

The National Weather Service’s office in Norman, Okla., did its communicating via both Twitter and Facebook. Most of its posts were time-stamped reports on the ongoing weather situation, though one did direct readers to a Facebook clearinghouse for information about the storm and its aftermath.

For its part, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management stayed quiet Monday evening and early Tuesday morning. Its last tweet was May 17, and its Facebook page hasn’t been updated since April. The social-media voice of the state government would seem to be Gov. Mary Fallin, who tweeted about how to aid victims and gave reports from the ground in Moore.

Visited tonight w/ search crews at Plaza Towers Elementary School in #Moore.Appreciate their hard work and tireless dedication. #okwx

— Governor Mary Fallin (@GovMaryFallin) May 21, 2013

With pictures of the devastation on a constant loop on TV, people using social media also looked for glimmers of hope. They took it where they could Tuesday morning, with stories such as this one:

Watching this woman find her dog in the tornado wreckage will brighten up your morning a bit: cbsn.ws/10Jiy4B

— Josh Petri (@joshpetri) May 21, 2013

Matt Wilson is a staff writer for Ragan.com.

(Image via & via)

via RSSSocialMedia http://bit.ly/17YwsZe

Nearly one million people are affected by natural disasters each year. In the U.S. alone, some 400 people die from disasters that cost the economy $17.6 billion. Helping respond to these cataclysmic events, social media is now a go-to tool for those effected by disasters

One in five Americans has used an emergency app. Of those Americans effected by natural disasters, 76% used social media to contact friends and family; 37% of used social media to help find shelter and supplies; and 24% used social media to let loved ones know they’re safe.

Read more…

More about Us, World, Social Media, Social Good, and Infographics

via Social Media http://bit.ly/10Mf8BX

You’ve had some fun with Vine, but now you want to get serious. Here are 12 tips to turn you into a Vine pro.

With Vine, you have six seconds to really impress a viewer. Thankfully, six seconds is more than enough time to dazzle someone, tell a story or share a laugh. These tips range from technical best practices to creative guidelines

1. Visualize the Final Product

Before you start your masterpiece, have a good idea what your finished Vine is going to look like. This might seem like obvious advice, but it will help make your shoot more efficient and give you an opportunity to really think about the structure of your creation. Some Viners sketch out their Vine frame-by-frame in a notebook, while others just have an idea in their head. Find what works for you. Read more…

More about Video, Social Media, Vine, Stop Motion, and How To

via Social Media http://bit.ly/12JpT8e

I just unlocked the The Voice Season 4: Top 10 Performances sticker on GetGlue

2788 others have also unlocked the The Voice Season 4: Top 10 Performances sticker on GetGlue.com

The top 10 take the stage tonight! Who are you voting for? Thanks for tuning into The Voice tonight! Keep watching on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC. Share this one proudly. It’s from our friends at NBC.

I just unlocked the I’ve Gotten Hairier sticker on GetGlue

29440 others have also unlocked the I’ve Gotten Hairier sticker on GetGlue.com

You’re watching a lot of comedy. Have you thought about taking a break? Maybe taking a shower or getting a haircut? No? OK, you can always head back to YouTube.com/ComedyWeek for more new comedy. Share this one proudly. It’s from our friends at YouTube.

Pinterest just got an upgrade that could make it easier for users to gather information by navigating in its site. Instead of exclusively linking back to the original source, pins from certain brands will now display information such as recipes, movie reviews and price information.

Brand Partnerships Bring New Pin Format

Pinterest has partnered with several brands, including eBay, Target, ModCloth, Sony and Netflix, to introduce these more descriptive pins. The content of these pins will vary based on the brands who post them. For example, a pin from ModCloth could include the price of an item of clothing, while a pin from Netflix could provide more information about the cast of a TV series or the rating of a film Read more…

More about Ebay, Netflix, Target, Modcloth, and Pinterest

via Social Media http://bit.ly/12nYc3f

Procrastination is a serious business. In fact, procrastinators who are accomplished in their craft have a number of tools to help them — seven tools, to be exact, and counting.

In this Sunday Comic, Maria Scrivan shows us the cover of the procrastinator’s bible. Can you relate?

Comic written and illustrated by Maria Scrivan. Published with permission; all rights reserved. Read more…

More about Comic, Comics, Social Media, Humor, and Watercooler

via Social Media http://bit.ly/YTHGsN

I’ve often heard this question from clients: Should we be on (insert shiny, new social media platform here)? My instinct is to say yes, because we want to expand our scope of work with them, and we’re always looking to be innovative. But being a good social media partner requires much more in-depth analysis.

When I was overseeing content strategy and execution for my clients, we would generally work on a POV for each new platform that would come into play. We did this for Pinterest, Instagram, and Vine (among others) over the last few years. Part of that POV was assessing which brands would be a good fit for the platform.

That doesn’t mean the client would automatically sign on for that platform, but it was incumbent upon us to make sure we at least made the recommendation (sometimes over and over and over).

Here are five key questions:

1. Are people using this platform to talk about your brand, your industry, or your competition?

This is easy enough on platforms that use hashtags. I can search #Starbucks on Instagram, for example, and see that nearly 1.9 million photos bear that hashtag. If I’m managing the brand’s social media presence, this tells me that there are 1.9 million potential conversations and pieces of user-generated content out there. This is definitely the right move for that brand to be using that platform (and Starbucks is using it—quite effectively as it turns out).

Part of your research on new platforms should be to assess not just who is talking about your brand but how they’re talking about your brand. If people are actively complaining or bringing up customer service issues on this platform, your strategy will differ from what you’ll do if people are raving about you.

When it comes to your competition, just because they jump off a cliff doesn’t mean you should follow—unless they’re jumping off a cliff into a crystal clear pool of water filled with your current and potential customers.

2. Does this platform align with your demographic?

Maybe people aren’t talking about your brand (or perhaps they’re talking about you sparingly). That certainly shouldn’t preclude you from entering into that platform—especially if it’s used by a demographic that you’re looking to target.

For instance, if you’re looking to reach influential, educated, millennial women, Pinterest is a platform you should strongly consider. Instagram might not be your best bet if that’s the only group you’re looking to target.

3. Is there an opportunity to tell your brand’s story in a new/unique way on this platform?

Brands that are using Vine in an interesting ways—Lowe’s, Smart Car USA, General Electric (sometimes)—are using the platform to tell a good brand story that goes beyond “buy this.”

When Smart Car wanted to show how easy it is to charge its new electric version, a six-second video was the perfect way to do it:
 


Lowe’s went beyond providing DIY tips in text to show their users how to do things like unscrewing a stripped screw:



If your team can find a way to use a new platform in an interesting fashion, that’s half the battle. So often brands will launch their presence in a new platform, and it’s just a dud.

4. Do you have the resources to maintain a robust presence on this platform?

The days of launching a social media presence to cover an event or product launch are over. Unless you’re going to commit your brand to building and maintaining a robust presence on a platform, don’t do it. It’s up to each individual brand to decide what “robust” means for them, but launching an event-specific account and then shutting it down no longer makes sense.

5. Does this platform logically fit in with your existing digital ecosystem?

Consider the rest of your digital presence, and whether this new platform logically integrates or if it would be on an island. If you can’t fit your always-on and campaign strategies into this platform, it’s probably worth waiting until you jump into it.

These questions certainly aren’t exhaustive, but they can at least get the conversation started. Remember: Any foray into a new platform will require your team to perform a risk assessment and understand any potential pitfalls. Your legal team will want to get involved (and will likely work tirelessly to quash your dreams, as they are wont to do).

(Image via)

via RSSSocialMedia http://bit.ly/13F2XrY

When you think of McDonald’s, do you associate it with “nutrition”?

Probably not.

The fast food chain is trying to change that perception through the McDonald’s Nutrition Network, a program designed to highlight its commitment to nutrition. To help spread the word and change the minds of consumers, it turned to mommy bloggers, a dietician and social media.

That effort won McDonald’s the nod for Best Use of Digital or Social Media for Media Relations in PR Daily’s Digital PR & Social Media Awards.

PR Daily’s 2012 Digital PR and Social Media Awards were presented by Synaptic Digital. Learn more about Synaptic Digital here (pdf).

To localize the message, MWW and the McDonald’s New York Tri-State Owners/Operators Association created The McDonald’s New York Metro Nutrition Network (MNN).

The “MNN” was created to award local organizations with seed money to fund projects or programs that promote nutrition and responsible eating choices to the communities they serve, says Alissa Blate, MWW executive vice president, Consumer Lifestyle Marketing.

Developing a healthy strategy

MWW also reached out to thousands of local organizations to raise awareness for this program and encouraged them to apply for funding. These organizations were pleased that McDonald’s was getting involved in the conversation, Blate says.

Next, local “Meetups” were held throughout the area. The registered dietitian, Tanya Zuckerbrot, spoke to attendees, answered questions, and provided wholesale menu items for people to sample.

“Lastly, content for consumers was created by the program’s registered dietitian, including prebuilt meal bundles and nutrition tips, which were available on the program website,” Blate says. “This content was supported with ongoing messaging on McDonald’s local Twitter and Facebook handles as well as seeded to prominent, influential bloggers.”

How to change the conversation

MWW invited key “mommy bloggers” to attend the network’s launch event, featuring a Q&A with Zuckerbrot. Then, after the launch event, there were more “Meetups,” live-tweeted by McDonald’s.

“Bloggers never before had the opportunity to talk to McDonald’s about nutrition,” Blate says. “When they learned about the better for you options available at McDonald’s restaurants their perceptions changed. The experiential component – taking them offline versus just communicating with them online – made a difference in their views of the brand.

“Tanya helped dispel myths around McDonald’s food, created custom menu choices for each meal of the day, and armed parents with the information that they need to responsibly integrate McDonald’s into their hectic daily schedules,” she says.

In addition, the MWW public affairs team met with local officials in the community to raise awareness of the program and encourage their constituents to apply for the grants.  They applauded McDonald’s for supporting nutritional education in the local community by donating seed funding to local nonprofits.

“This effort had an enormous effect in increasing the number of organizations applying for the grants, as well as opening a line of dialogue between the McDonald’s owners and operators in their constituency,” Blate says.

Did it work?

MWW secured close to 100 media hits, including Newsday, NJ.com, and posts from more than 20 influential bloggers in the local NY Metro market.

McDonald’s exceeded its goal in applications for the grant awards by nearly 500 percent and every segment of the New York Tri-State area was represented showing that the efforts in this program reached the entire region and wasn’t limited to just the big cities.

Success was also measured on social media channels. Before the launch, MWW benchmarked the volume, tone, and common themes around discussions on McDonald’s and nutrition throughout the region. Then, it compared the numbers to post-launch.

Blate says the results were “perception-changing” with nearly “a 2,300 percent increase in social media impressions around McDonald’s and nutrition with 99 percent of them considered ‘favorable.’”

“Additionally, many local bloggers who had previously written negative posts around McDonald’s and its nutritional benefit have begun to praise the brand for its commitment to bringing responsible eating to the forefront,” Blate says.

Want to get recognized for your hard work? Find out about Ragan and PR Daily’s award programs here.

Jessica Levco is co-editor of Ragan’s Health Care Communication News.

(Image via & via)

In Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s Tumblr post about her company buying the social media/blogging webste, it doesn’t take long for her to offer reassurances that the old Internet guard won’t come in and totally remake the new kid on the block.

Here’s the second sentence: “We promise not to screw it up.”

Tumblr CEO David Karp (who offered his own post that even included a Tumblr-specific, rather vulgar sign-off) will remain in charge of the site, she stressed. In a show of solidarity with the animated-GIF-heavy content of Tumblr, Mayer included one of her own. Tumblr’s “product roadmap” will stay the same, she offered.

Mayer was right to be on defense in her statement. Before Yahoo’s $1.1 billion purchase of Tumblr was even official Monday morning, Tumblr users were not pleased at the prospect, with several sites cataloguing a few of the more distraught posts, which include pictures of people crying and statements such as, “If Yahoo buys Tumblr, I will delete my blog.”

It’s clear Tumblr’s users feel a real sense of ownership and community on the site. Some expressed worries that Yahoo would put a stop to the posting of pornographic material on Tumblr; others worried that the site’s rampant reappropriation of images and video from movies and TV would be scrutinized.

Yahoo seems intent on assuring users none of that will happen, and at least one news outlet, Buzzfeed, has argued that Yahoo’s acquisition of the site is intended to win the site’s mostly young user base over, not alienate them.

But that’s enough words, right? It seems right that we at PR Daily should make our best effort to tell this story in Tumblrese. So without further ado, here’s Yahoo’s acquisition of Tumblr in five animated GIFs:

The negotiations:



The acquisition:



Tumblr’s reaction:



Tumblr users’ reactions:



And their plea:



Matt Wilson is a staff writer for Ragan.com.

(Image via, via, via, via & via)

via RSSSocialMedia http://bit.ly/10PVgej

Even the most social-savvy business owners can get caught up in the numbers game: counting and recounting likes, followers, fans, retweets, shares. Not to say those numbers don’t correlate to how well your business connects with customers online, but 100 shares doesn’t necessarily mean 100 sales — and it certainly doesn’t measure the potential value of those 100 shares.

For example, were any of the 100 fans sharing that post actually influencers? Did the fans in question sign up for your list, or share and forget? Are your likes and follows actually impacting your sales? Many business owners wouldn’t know how to start answering those questions. Read more…

More about Marketing, Social Media, Features, Business, and Small Business

via Social Media http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/Mashable/SocialMedia/~3/wXtVBE3fhm8/

Yahoo’s board of directors has approved a $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr, it was reported earlier today. The initial reactions from many Tumblr users have ranged from skepticism to outright anger, as many fear the acquisition will change the culture of the platform

What do you think the future holds for a Tumblr owned and operated by Yahoo? Let us know by answering the poll below. If there’s another question you’d like to ask, you can add it to our poll

Yahoo Acquires Tumblr

Stay tuned for more updates from Mashable as this story unfolds.

Photo via iStockphoto, kycstudio Read more…

More about Yahoo, Tumblr, and Social Media

via Social Media http://bit.ly/17QaZBF

Social media doesn’t need to be hard if you stay as authentic online as you are off, and concentrate on building a relationship with your fans and followers.

People like to be with those they know, like, and trust. With that in mind, I thought I would share a few quotations from thought leaders around the world and suggest how we can apply them to our online strategy.

They are not all well known for their digital acumen, but certainly are well known for either their business knowledge or thought-provoking ability. Enjoy.

1. “It’s not the strongest that survive, nor the most intelligent but those most responsive to change.” — Charles Darwin

Make sure you keep up with the times and adapt as you go, or you may find your brand is becoming extinct.

2. “You are what you share.” — Charles Leadbeater

People can see what you share publicly; are you proud?

3. “The question isn’t, ‘What do we want to know about people?’ It’s, ‘What do people want to tell about themselves?’” — Mark Zuckerberg

Are you happy to share your innermost secrets or just top-line stuff?

4. “Just be nice, take genuine interest in the people you meet, and keep in touch with people you like. This will create a group of people who are invested in helping you because they know you and appreciate you.” — Guy Kawasaki

Self explanatory: Be genuine.

5. “Social media demands a lot of us on top of our already demanding lives. So let’s disconnect as we need to and renew our interest and ourselves.” — Simon Mainwaring

Don’t be afraid to unplug and regenerate.

6. “Facebook Fan Pages are email newsletters with smaller pictures.” — Jay Baer

Think of your Facebook page as a rolling newsletter.

7. “Every company is its own TV station, magazine, and newspaper.” — Jay Baer

We all have the option to publish; are you doing so?

8. “‘Build it, and they will come’ only works in the movies. Social media is a ‘build it, nurture it, engage them, and they may come and stay.’” — Seth Godin

Give them a reason to hang around.

9. “How can you squander even one more day not taking advantage of the greatest shifts of our generation? How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?” — Seth Godin

You have the platforms; now use them like no one else.

10.”You are your Rolodex: Breadth counts. Collect freaks.” — Tom Peters

You never know who is connected to who that you meet that could be beneficial to you.

11. “If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell six friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends.”-Jeff Bezos

The internet gives it scale, so be aware of your brand’s actions and decisions at all levels.

12. “It’s not the small that get eaten; it’s the slow that get beaten.” — Linda Coles (me)

Get on and start now; your competitors may be already ahead.

So which relationship building or social media quotations have you heard that resonated with you and should be added to this list?

Linda Coles, author of “Learn marketing with social media in 7 days” (Wiley), is a speaker and trainer on building relationships. She lives in New Zealand. You can get a free sample of a chapter of her book by registering for her newsletter. A version of this article first appeared on LinkedInToday.

(Image via, via & via)

via RSSSocialMedia http://bit.ly/14Foakt

On Thursday, tornadoes ripped through Texas causing at least nine deaths.

As we enter into hurricane and wildfire season, it’s a good time to take a look at how social media has shaped disaster response.

During times of crisis, those affected—nearly 1 million people are affected by disasters each year—are beginning to use social networks as a replacement for 911 call centers.

In fact, 20 percent of disaster survivors now contact emergency responders via social media. Of those who do, 35 percent reach out to responders on Facebook, and 25 percent on Twitter.

When Superstorm Sandy pummeled the east coast last fall, Instagram was a go-to source for people to keep their social networks updated. At its peak, Instagram users uploaded Sandy-related photos at a rate of 10 every second.

RELATED: In Sandy’s wake, should brands shut up on social media?

For more on social media during disaster recovery, check out the infographic from USF’s Online MPA below, which was compiled by PR Daily reader Frankie Rendón of Creative Signals:



via RSSSocialMedia http://bit.ly/12Gdtg1

Social Media Day has become a full-fledged global movement since its launch in 2010. The event began with a few hundred Meetups and is now celebrated by thousands worldwide

It has been officially recognized by more than 20 cities, including San Jose, Calif.; Tampa, Fl.; Dublin, Ireland; and Toronto, Canada. In 2012, Arizona became the first U.S. state to proclaim June 30 as Social Media Day, and Nevada followed suit quickly thereafter

In order to have Social Media Day recognized officially in your city or state, you must submit a proclamation request form. We’ve put together this guide to help you through the process. While official proclamation practices range from state to state, here are the basics of what you need to know Read more…

More about Community, Social Media Day, Smday, Meetups, and Social Media

via Social Media http://bit.ly/15Q5ZwV

You are your Facebook account. Public or private, its contents define you in a professional, commercial and social nature. Your photos are keepsakes, and personal messages can be confidential exchanges. Either way, it’s an identity you want to protect.

But you probably aren’t doing everything you can to secure your account. You can carry Facebook everywhere on your phone, but is it safe? Facebook Mobile leaves you more susceptible to attempted hijackings and identity theft

Here are five ways to make sure there’s more than a phone case between you and a potential intruder Read more…

More about Mobile, Facebook, Apps, Security, and Social Media

via Social Media http://bit.ly/17yI2tP