Thursday, March 31, 2011

Alabama Social Media Inaugural Meeting: Recap

alsocme

I attended the Alabama Social Media inaugural meeting yesterday, and it was phenomenal!

The sensation of seeing a roomful of hundreds of faces straight from their Twitter Avatars was extremely fun – I got to meet so many friends face-to-face for the first time!

Zoës Kitchen catered the event with their usual fantastic assortment of food, which would have made the meeting worth going to on it’s own! But the speaker, Ike Pigott, also had some very valuable (and fascinating!) information to share.

Ike talked about the importance of Social Media, especially to corporations. He used the analogy of a Canary in the mine – the miners pay attention to the Canary, because if the Canary dies, the miners will follow unless they leave.

Social Media is this generation’s Canary – it makes a lot of noise, and it can help identify future crises if analyzed in the right way. And companies ABSOLUTELY need to be paying it attention!

"Framing gives context to fact. With the right story, you can change the way people see facts." – Ike Pigott

But not ALL disparaging words spoken against companies are crises - some are just noise. Ike recommended the book, The Gift of Fear, where the author Gavin De Becker arrived at a formula to analyze whether letters to celebrities were threats or not. In the same way, Ike set out to find a way to know whether individual Social Media messages were important or not.

Ike shared several examples of Social Media crises (or averted crises) in his current job with Alabama Power and in his past job with The American Red Cross. He used these situations to come up with the following guidelines:

7 Signs of a Viral Threat:

A – Authority / Assertion – The message must give you the feeling that you now know something important that will truly affect future decisions.

B – Brevity – No one wants to read a manifesto. If the negative message is too long, the average reader won’t want to be the one to foist it upon his whole social network.

C – Clarity – A well-crafted message, to go viral, must be unambiguous. There can be no question about where the author stands.

D – Detail – The position is rooted in incontrovertible fact, not just generalized negative statements.

E – Emotion – How well-written is the message? Does it make you feel as though you could be just as passionate for simply passing it along?

F – Focus- The message must be about one thing, and one thing only. If it makes a reader mentally wander he’ll be less likely to feel compelled to pass it along.

G – Gossip – We like to pass on juicy little tidbits to feel the rush of knowing you knew something before (almost) any of your friends did. This expands our position of esteem and authority.

When asked what tools were useful in monitoring what social networks were saying about your company/brand, Ike recommended Kurrently and socialmention.

*For the full transcript, you can visit the alsocme page.

I was unbelievably impressed with the amazing job that Kristen, Jeff, Wade, Erin, Stacey, Michelle, and all of their volunteers did with the event – it was beyond perfect!

I highly recommend planning on attending the next ALsocme event - the networking is invaluable, and the information shared is awesome!! There is a mixer on Thursday, April 21st, where there are currently only 7 tickets remaining. If you can attend, be sure to reserve your FREE ticket ASAP!

Also, they will have another education event in May – watch their website for more details.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

#AlaBlogMeet is THURSDAY - Are You Coming?

The March Alabama Bloggers Meet is being hosted by Stephen of Who Ate My Blog!

It will be at The Silvertron Cafe on March 31st. If you've never eaten at The Silvertron Cafe, I highly recommend you jump on this opportunity to try it!! It's an amazing slice of locally owned Birmingham Cuisine.

Here are the rest of the details:

Silvertron Cafe Birmingham Alabama
The Silvertron Cafe is located in on Clairmont Avenue, just down the street from the Highland Golf Course in Birmingham, Alabama.

Everyone is welcome to join in and meet bloggers from all across Alabama.

We’ll meet at 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Thursday, March 31st for a wide ranging selection of dishes including soups, salads, pastas, southwestern dishes, burgers, sandwiches, and more. (see menu below)

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Stephen Vinson at stephen [at]whoatemyblog [dot] com

Hope to see you there!

Date: Thursday, March 31st

RSVP: Please RSVP on this post or on the original announcement.

Time: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Location: The Silvertron Cafe

Menu: Lunch and Dinner Menu [pdf]

Address: 3813 Clairmont Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35222

Twitter Hashtag: #AlaBlogMeet

Map: Google Map for The Silvertron Cafe


We hope to see you there!!!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Best Post of the Week: Week Ninety-Three


It's time to link in your best post of the week!

The purpose of this column is to make it easier to keep up with each other's blogs, so that even if we don't have time to read all of the Alabama Blogger blogs every day, at least we get the week's highlights.

So, link up, tell us why you linked that post, and let's start reading! And remember - the best way to get new blogging friends is to comment on other people's posts, so be sure to say "hi" to your neighbors when you visit!

p.s. - please feel free to interpret "this week" as loosely as you like!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Amy's Extraordinary Alabama: We Be Big


By Amy

_140_245_Book.358.cover Living in central Alabama you have to be a hermit to not know who Rick and Bubba are. I was in college at Jacksonville State University, Rick and Bubba's alma mater, when the Rick and Bubba show began in Gadsden, Alabama just a half hour drive from JSU. I can remember mornings driving to class listening to the duo. Almost everyone loved the Rick and Bubba Show. They were funny. And real.


We Be Big: The Mostly True Story of How Two Kids from Calhoun County, Alabama became Rick and Bubba chronicles their childhood years as well as their rise to one of the most popular morning shows in the southeast.


As they share in We Be Big it took a few years before they realized how God was directing their steps and that of the show. They each share memories from childhood and when they realized how well they played off each other in a Spanish class at JSU as well as much more.


I enjoyed this easy read about two legends from my home county. Definitely worth reading.


They say the show is about everything. Everything that happens in their lives is fair game, but they also are unafraid to share their faith and the difficult experiences in life.


In We Be Big they give the credit to God, as they do each day on their show, and their faith for bringing them the success they have.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Don't Forget: Next Week's Blogger Meet-Up!!

The March Alabama Bloggers Meet is being hosted by Stephen of Who Ate My Blog!

It will be at The Silvertron Cafe on March 31st. If you've never eaten at The Silvertron Cafe, I highly recommend you jump on this opportunity to try it!! It's an amazing slice of locally owned Birmingham Cuisine.

Here are the rest of the details:

Silvertron Cafe Birmingham Alabama
The Silvertron Cafe is located in on Clairmont Avenue, just down the street from the Highland Golf Course in Birmingham, Alabama.

Everyone is welcome to join in and meet bloggers from all across Alabama.

We’ll meet at 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Thursday, March 31st for a wide ranging selection of dishes including soups, salads, pastas, southwestern dishes, burgers, sandwiches, and more. (see menu below)

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Stephen Vinson at stephen [at]whoatemyblog [dot] com

Hope to see you there!

Date: Thursday, March 31st

RSVP: Please RSVP on this post or on the original announcement.

Time: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Location: The Silvertron Cafe

Menu: Lunch and Dinner Menu [pdf]

Address: 3813 Clairmont Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35222

Twitter Hashtag: #AlaBlogMeet

Map: Google Map for The Silvertron Cafe


We hope to see you there!!!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Best Post of the Week: Week Ninety-Two


It's time to link in your best post of the week!

The purpose of this column is to make it easier to keep up with each other's blogs, so that even if we don't have time to read all of the Alabama Blogger blogs every day, at least we get the week's highlights.

So, link up, tell us why you linked that post, and let's start reading! And remember - the best way to get new blogging friends is to comment on other people's posts, so be sure to say "hi" to your neighbors when you visit!

p.s. - please feel free to interpret "this week" as loosely as you like!

Friday, March 11, 2011

March Alabama Bloggers Meet!

The March Alabama Bloggers Meet is being hosted by Stephen of Who Ate My Blog!

It will be at The Silvertron Cafe on March 31st. If you've never eaten at The Silvertron Cafe, I highly recommend you jump on this opportunity to try it!! It's an amazing slice of locally owned Birmingham Cuisine.

Here are the rest of the details:

Silvertron Cafe Birmingham Alabama
The Silvertron Cafe is located in on Clairmont Avenue, just down the street from the Highland Golf Course in Birmingham, Alabama.

Everyone is welcome to join in and meet bloggers from all across Alabama.

We’ll meet at 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Thursday, March 31st for a wide ranging selection of dishes including soups, salads, pastas, southwestern dishes, burgers, sandwiches, and more. (see menu below)

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Stephen Vinson at stephen [at]whoatemyblog [dot] com

Hope to see you there!

Date: Thursday, March 31st

RSVP: Please RSVP ON THIS POST.

Time: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Location: The Silvertron Cafe

Menu: Lunch and Dinner Menu [pdf]

Address: 3813 Clairmont Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35222

Twitter Hashtag: #AlaBlogMeet

Map: Google Map for The Silvertron Cafe

Best Post of the Week: Week Ninety-One


It's time to link in your best post of the week!

The purpose of this column is to make it easier to keep up with each other's blogs, so that even if we don't have time to read all of the Alabama Blogger blogs every day, at least we get the week's highlights.

So, link up, tell us why you linked that post, and let's start reading! And remember - the best way to get new blogging friends is to comment on other people's posts, so be sure to say "hi" to your neighbors when you visit!

p.s. - please feel free to interpret "this week" as loosely as you like!

Friday, March 4, 2011

American Idol Contest - $250 in Prizes!!

I don't often duplicate content between my two blogs, but I'm so excited about getting to host this contest and give away some great prizes, that I can't help but share here, also!! You can either enter here or at Grasping for Objectivity.

PredictAmericasPick


I was skeptical about this season’s American Idol.

Could it continue without Simon?

I knew I wouldn’t miss Kara for a tenth of a second, but Simon… he made the show. The only person that would be more of an unforgivable loss than Simon would be Ryan, whom I might have a so-obsessive-that-I-dream-about-him tiny TV-Crush on.

If Ryan ever quits the show, I’m quitting it too.

But I was surprised by this season – pleasantly so. The show has actually been more … calming. Without Simon around, the judges are still entertaining, but they’re never cruelly blunt. It’s a happier place now, and I do like happy places.

Plus, I’m eternally entertained by the fact that one of the judges is the spitting image of an older and even more washed up Captain Jack Sparrow…

Steven Tyler Captain Jack Sparrow

And so, to celebrate a fun new type of Idol, I’ve decided to have a contest!

And, since no contest is complete without prizes, I made sure that the prizes are FANTASTIC.

(I’m totally wishing I could win, but I can’t, lucky for you!!)

NOVICAY’all know how much I adore NOVICA – I feel like I talk about them all of the time. But in case you’ve missed it, NOVICA is an AMAZING site full of millions of things that I want to own, and I promise that you will, too.

Partnered with National Geographic, NOVICA connects artisans all over the world with us through their awesomely easy-to-use website and their NOVICA Live home shows. And I am constantly stunned by their surprisingly affordable prices! My favorites are their necklaces and earrings – I’ve bought several, and the quality is amazing!! In fact, I’m wearing one of my favorite NOVICA items in my latest Twitter/Facebook picture.

They have so many things that I have literally spent hours browsing their site. But if you don’t have time for that, they have a great Unique Gifts page that helps categorize and sort their products for finding the perfect gift – for someone else or yourself!

So. NOVICA has graciously agreed to sponsor this contest… are you ready for this?

The GRAND PRIZE, which will go to the winner of the contest, is a $200 NOVICA Gift Certificate!!!!

And the Participation Prize, which will go to one randomly chosen participant in the contest, is a $50 NOVICA Gift Certificate!

I’m so excited to be able to offer you such a significant amount of money with which to explore the worlds of awesomeness at NOVICA.

So.. here’s how it’s going to work:

To enter to win the $200 Grand Prize:

I have created an entry form with the top 13 contestant’s names on it. All you have to do is put those contestants in order, from 1-13, of how YOU think they will fare in the contest (1 being the winner, and 13 being the first person eliminated).

(You actually don’t even have to watch single episode of Idol to enter – just guess! You might do better than the rest of us, since America can be a bit unpredictable.)

You only have six days in which to fill out an entry form – the contest will be closed at the start of the first top 13 performance – Wednesday night, March 9th.

CLICK HERE to go to the entry form.

I will keep up with everyone’s picks and will publish a leaderboard each week after eliminations. The person with the most accurate picks after the final show will win the $200 Gift Certificate!!

If there is a tie, the Grand Prize will go to the person with the most eligible participation prize entries (to be explained below). If there is still a tie, one of the tying winners will be selected randomly.

To enter to win the $50 Participation Prize:

You can be entered into the participation prize anytime between now and next Wednesday by helping get the word out! You get one entry for each of the following:

  • Tweet about the contest, linking back to this post.
  • Facebook about the contest, linking back to this post.
  • Blog about the contest, linking back to this post.
  • Follow NOVICA on Facebook or Twitter.
  • Follow me on Facebook or Twitter.
  • Subscribe to or Follow my blog.
  • Enter to win the Grand Prize (your entry for the grand prize counts as one participation entry as well).

*** Be sure to leave a comment on this post for each entry that you earned by doing the above items!!! ***

Also, you get FIVE entries for each person that says they found out about the contest from you! (There’s a field on the entry form for them to give you credit.)

The Participation winner will be chosen randomly from all of the Participation Entries.

And now that I’ve completely confused everyone…

Start Entering!! And Good Luck!!

Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for my nice words about NOVICA – my opinions are always my own, and I seriously love their site.

Best Post of the Week: Week Ninety


It's time to link in your best post of the week!

The purpose of this column is to make it easier to keep up with each other's blogs, so that even if we don't have time to read all of the Alabama Blogger blogs every day, at least we get the week's highlights.

So, link up, tell us why you linked that post, and let's start reading! And remember - the best way to get new blogging friends is to comment on other people's posts, so be sure to say "hi" to your neighbors when you visit!

p.s. - please feel free to interpret "this week" as loosely as you like!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Breaking Social Media News: Alabama Social Media Association!!

I am so excited to tell you all about the latest, greatest aid to the growth and relationships within social media in Alabama - the Alabama Social Media Association!!

Founded and led by some of the most prominent Social Media Pioneers in our state, Alabama Social Media Association (ALSOCME) was created to help businesses and community organizations find their way into our fast moving field.

It's an independent, grassroots nonprofit group, and is open to anyone who wishes to share ideas and grow in their knowledge of social media and how it is used by people and businesses of all types.

"Not only do we want those who are curious about social media on a corporate level to attend and join the Alabama Social Media Association, but we also want Alabama's bloggers who are already showcasing their social media skills to join us and take part," said Executive Director Kristen R. Heptinstall, who works as Senior Producer for Social Media and Community at AL.com. "All of our board members and I are bloggers and 'social media geeks' at a personal level."

The association, although based in Birmingham, will serve the entire state by sponsoring educational programming six times a year, including an annual conference. Social events will be held every month, and all members of the community are welcome to participate, regardless of their digital/social media experience.

ALSOCME’s kickoff will be held Wednesday, March 30, at The Hill Event Center at the Alabama Theatre, 1811 Third Ave. N. Ike Pigott, with Alabama Power Corporate Communications will present “Social Media: The 21st-Century Canary.” Pigott, a nationally known social media expert, will share examples of how he has used social media tools to spot potential crises and the tactics and strategies for using social media to address these issues.

Networking will begin at 11:30 a.m., with a program at noon. A complimentary lunch will be provided by Zoës Kitchen.

Sponsors for the March 30 event are The Hill Event Center at the Alabama Theatre and Zoës Kitchen.

The event is free, but participants must RSVP. To register, or for more information, visit www.alsocme.com. For questions about ALSOCME, write alsocme@gmail.com.

ALSOCME’s Board of Directors are Chair of the Board Jeff Vreeland of Vreeland Technologies, Erin Shaw Street of Southern Living, Wade Kwon (a communications consultant), and Stacey Hood of Stewart Perry Construction. Partners include the Alabama Tourism Department, the Alabama chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, the Internet Professionals Society of Alabama, the American Advertising Federation–Birmingham and Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos.

You can find out more about ALSOCME by following them on Twitter, or going to their website, www.alsocme.com.
If you haven't linked up and introduced yourself yet, be sure to go here to do so!