Social Media Advice on Sending Holiday Cards

Monday, December 17th, 2012 at 7:05 am in Marketing · 0 Comments
Social Media Holiday Cards

I’m actually a fan of sending and receiving Holiday Cards through snail mail.

Snail Mail Holiday Cards add a personal touch to a Holiday that is now filled with online shopping!

Here are some words of Social Media Advice on Sending Holiday Cards from Baratunde Thurston, former digital director at The Onion and author of the book “How to Be Black,” and Deanna Zandt, the author of “Share This: How You Will Change the World with Social Networking.”1

ZANDT: …I’m just not a fan of eCards because it’s so easy to send an eCard that it just doesn’t mean anything.

THURSTON: And it’s so hard to receive mail…

(LAUGHTER)

THURSTON: …that it means too much to me.

ZANDT: Yeah. (Singing) You say tomato and I say…

THURSTON: And I say banana.

Read and Listen to the entire conversation here: Social Media Advice: Sending Holiday Cards

As funny as it is, this interview offers two perspectives of sending Holiday Cards.

Social Media Holiday Cards

How do you feel about sending Holiday Cards? Do you prefer eCards? Or do you prefer snail mail Holiday Cards?

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  1. http://nhpr.org/post/social-media-advice-sending-holiday-cards {↩}

Review: Stickygram is Instagram Magnetic Awesome-ness

Sunday, December 2nd, 2012 at 9:45 am in Reviews · 3 Comments
Stickygram Review - Magnets for Instagram

Stickygram Review in a nutshell: Stickygram is Instagram magnetic awesome-ness!

Remember when I told you about Stickygram a few months ago?

Well, Stickygram was kind enough to send over a sample for me to try out.

And, I received my Stickygram last week, approximately 1 week after I submitted my photo picks from Instagram. Dude, that’s pretty fast shipping from UK to California. And I would have posted this sooner, but I didn’t want this review to get lost in the Thanksgiving Week shuffle with Black Friday and Cyber Monday taking over Social Media and what not.

Ordering from Stickygram Is Easy

The Stickygram Order Process was super easy. After connecting to my Instagram account, I was prompted to pick 9 photos. The hardest part was picking the 9 photos that I wanted. I actually even logged into Instagram from my phone and added a few more photos for use on my Stickygram. Ha!

You can actually use ANY of your Instagram photos for your Stickygram. Most of my Instagram photos are of my day to day ADHD randomness, so the photos I added were of me with W and close friends.

Once you’ve selected your photos, you’re able to maneuver them around a bit before submitting them. And even after you’ve locked them in place, you’re able to go back and adjust your Instagram photos as needed.

Once you’ve placed your order, it takes about 7 business days or less to reach your mailbox. How’s that for fast shipping.

Stickygram Uses

Now that you know how great Stickygram is, here are a few ways that you can use it:

  1. Stickygram Christmas Presents – I mean, what grandparents don’t love having pictures of their grandchildren on display? Really.
  2. Stickygrams Are Kid-Friendly – If you’ve got kids, it can be hard to keep up with who is doing what chores and to-do lists. Spice things up by placing a Stickygram of each child next to their To-Do list or list of Chores for the week. Or, if you’ve got multiples, place a Stickygram next to feeding lists, diaper changes, and doctor visits.
  3. Stickygram Goal Reminders – Ever leaned left to the refrigerator when you should have veered right to that exercise bike you’ve been avoiding? Go ahead and post a Stickygram of the healthier you to your refrigerator. I’m sure you’ll be inspired to make better choices.
  4. Instagram Collage – Be artistic and create an Instagram collage of your favorite moments of the year.

Get $2 Off StickyGram

If you decide to be awesome and give StickyGram a try, use this code to save $2: FRIENDDXY9

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New Feature: Instagram Badges

Monday, November 26th, 2012 at 10:00 am in Marketing · 1 Comment
Instagram Badges

This week, Instagram launched profile “Badges”. Per Instagram, Instagram badges are to “help you link to and promote your Instagram web profile.”

Remember when I discussed Instagram’s profiles would probably be a way for them to monetize business profiles in the future?

Yeah…well…

Any user (specifically, businesses) can select an Instagram badge size and then add that badge to their website, blog or anywhere that they want to link to their Instagram web profile.

How to Get An Instagram Badge for Your Website

There are two ways to access Instagram badges:

  1. Navigate to your Instagram web profile page. Click on your username to access the drop down menu and choose “Badges”
  2. Visit instagram.com/accounts/badges

Instagram Badges for Businesses

To create a badge for your brand or business:

  1. Make sure you are logged in online to the brand or business account.
  2. Select the badge you’d like to use, copy the code and paste it into your site.
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5 Great Social Media Icon Design Inspirations

Sunday, November 18th, 2012 at 9:08 am in Branding · 2 Comments
Back of Instagram Icon - Social Media Icon Design Inspiration

I love looking at great social media icon design inspirations. I know; I’m a geek.

But there’s something about a beautifully designed icon that gets me all excited. Sometimes, iOS app developers will hold app icon design challenges to get designers and others talking about their app, and to get a cool looking icon for their app in return.

And some designers will see a social media icon and think, “I can make this better”, so they will remix the icon for fun and to show off their skills. And this is why there are so many social media ions floating around.

It’s hard not to spend all day on dribbble. But it’s a site full of awesome designers who like to showcase their work.

Dribbble is show and tell for designers, who share shots — small screenshots of the designs and applications they’re working on.

So I’ve put together a list of 5 great social media icon design inspirations that I’ve seen this week. Enjoy!

Google Plus Icon - Social Media Icon Design Inspiration
Google+ iOS Icon
By: Alvin Thong

Tweetbot Icons - Social Media Icon Design Inspiration

Birdies
By: Mark Jardine

Dribble Icon - Social Media Icon Design Inspiration

Dribbble App Icon
By: Ramotion

path-facebook-ios-social-media-icon-design-inspiration
Path & Facebook Icons
By: Jackie Tran

My Favorite Social Media Icon Design Inspiration

Instagram Icon - Social Media Icon Design Inspiration

the back of the Instagram icon.
By: Cole Rise

This is by far one of my favorite social media icon design inspirations because it gives you an idea of what the back of an icon would look like, as opposed to a different view of the front.

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Track Your Grub with GrubHub

Wednesday, November 14th, 2012 at 10:55 am in Apps & Software · 2 Comments
grubhub-track-your-grub-estimated-delivery

Ever wondered where your Delivery order was? Ever waited on hold to find out where your delivery was? Ever had a driver ask you for directions to deliver your food?

Well, soon you’ll be able to save yourself the headache, and Track Your Grub with GrubHub.

Track Your Grub with GrubHub provides diners with:

  • Order confirmation SMS texts containing updated delivery and pickup estimates;
  • SMS text notifications when food is available for pickup or has left the restaurant for delivery; and
  • In select areas, mapping functionality on GrubHub’s mobile ordering apps, allowing diners to track the last leg of the delivery process.

Continue Reading →

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Yelp Invites Users to Explore the Menu

Tuesday, November 13th, 2012 at 6:13 pm in Branding · 1 Comment
yelp-6-3-0-explore-the-menu-whats-popular-here

Yelp invites users to “Explore the Menu” of the businesses listed on Yelp with the latest Yelp 6.3.0 release. And for the first time, since…ever, Yelp has released this feature on all three platforms, at the same time.

It’s certainly easier to check-in using Foursquare, but Yelp just gave you another reason to open Yelp first.

From the business page on the website, the mobile site or your Yelp App, look for the “Explore the Menu” link to see the new dedicated menu page when the business is open.

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Specifics on menu items, like description and price, will match up with Yelp’s user generated photos and reviews mentioning that particular dish.

Feeling indecisive? Pick something with the “popular” tag – items Yelpers can’t stop talking about – and Yelp guarantees a good meal.

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Other Yelp 6.3.0 features include:

We completely rebuilt our iPhone homepage notification bar to make it even easier to respond to friend requests, approve compliments, and view your past likes and comments.
Create more expressive and helpful tips on iPhone by attaching a photo to them.

While Yelp only mentions the iPhone above, the feature is visible on the iPad as well, making the change available on iOS as a whole.

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{Marketing} Green Day Dos Album + New Chuck Taylor Limited Edition Sneaker.

Tuesday, November 13th, 2012 at 8:38 am in Marketing · 2 Comments
marketing-green-day-dos-album-new-chuck-taylor-limited-edition-sneaker-side

Have a look at the New Chuck Taylor Limited Edition Sneak for Green Day Dos Album.

Green Day released their tenth studio album entitled ¡Dos! in conjunction with a New Chuck Taylor Limited Edition Sneaker. The album was released on November 9th, 2012 in Australia, November 12th in the UK, and on November 13th in the United States.

On September 25th, Converse unveiled the first shoe in the collection, timed to the band’s album release of Green Day ¡Uno!.

Converse is set to launch the third shoe for Green Day ¡Tré! on Tuesday January 15, 2012. The shoes are inspired by the band members and the three new album covers. The Green Day Chuck Taylor All Star Collection is available for a suggested retail price of $60 at Journeys stores (www.journeys.com) and www.converse.com.

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Ken Fuchs Up: Yahoo! Fantasy Football Server Outage Apology

Monday, November 12th, 2012 at 5:51 am in Sports & Fitness · 3 Comments
yahoos-fantasy-football-server-outage

Yahoo! Football received a lot of backlash yesterday, as Yahoo! Fantasy Football servers went down one hour before the first kickoff.

I’m actually apart of three different FFB Leagues this season, and each one is on a different platform. I purposely requested that my own league use ESPN Fantasy Football instead of Yahoo! Fantasy because of the issues I had with the Yahoo! Fantasy Football for iOS app last season. So when I opened the app to make changes yesterday, and I couldn’t get past the main league screen, all I could think was, “Here we go again…”

This morning, the Head of Yahoo! Sports, Ken Fuchs, sent out an email apology for the issues users are having.

The important part of this email is this:

“We have restored full functionality on the website, and we’re working for a final fix for our mobile apps. Currently data and scores can be viewed but for now you cannot make transactions or change line-ups from the apps.”

Yahoo FFB Outage Apology

Hopefully, users will be able to change their line-ups before the game tonight.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Folks at DumpsterFire took advantage of the Yahoo! Fantasy outage and social media backlash to promote their own services:

Smart!

Make sure you check out DumpsterFire!

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How to Use Pinterest Secret Boards

Friday, November 9th, 2012 at 5:51 am in Social Media · 3 Comments
pinterest-launches-limited-secret-boards

This post will show you How to Use Pinterest Secret Boards.

Following server maintenance last Tuesday, Pinterest introduced a new “secret boards” feature which limits visibility to only the creator and any collaborators they may invite on Thursday.

Private boards can be switched from “off” to “on” one time before it becomes permanent. But, unfortunately, you can’t hide existing boards because others may have already repinned from your board.

How to Pin to Secret Boards via Pinterest Web

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  • When using Pinterest from the web, go to your profile page. Scroll down to the bottom and “Create a Secret Board.”
  • Another way to do it is to click “Add+” from the top right-hand corner of Pinterest and turn the Secret button On.

How to Pin to Secret Boards via Pinterest Mobile App

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  • Visit your profile, select the “Boards” tab and scroll down until you see “Create a Secret Board.”

Yep, that’s it!

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Automatic Sharing to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Tumblr with Jetpack 2.0

Thursday, November 8th, 2012 at 10:18 am in Marketing · 3 Comments
publicize-to-twitter-facebook-jetpack-for-wordpress

Use Jetpack 2.0 Plugin for WordPress for automatic sharing to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Tumblr.

Jetpack 2.0 for WordPress was updated and jam packed with new features for WordPress users.

The plugin now includes Auto-Publishing to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Tumblr. When you publish your blog post, you can automatically submit a title and link to your post, directly to your followers – in your social networks.

Prior to the Jetpack 2.0 update, you had to install additional plugins to

How to activate Auto-Publishing in Jetpack 2.0

  1. Install or update the Jetpack 2.0plugin20121109-133839.jpg
    • Note: If you’re using WordPress.com, Jetpack is already enabled for you!
  2. Go to the main Jetpack page in your admin panel.

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  1. Click “Activate” on the “Publicize” module.20121109-134051.jpg
    • Note: This may already be active.
  2. Go to Settings –>; Sharing in your admin navigation.
  3. “Publicize” should appear at the top of your “Sharing” page.
  4. Select the social networks you would like to auto-publish to.

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Alternatives to Jetpack 2.0 Auto-Publishing

Part of the reason Jetpack 2.0 is so great is because it allows you to connect to and auto publish to your networks without having to create developer keys, or apps to connect to APIs. But if you prefer to jump through the extra hoops, or if you’d rather not install Jetpack 2.0, here are a few alternatives for adding auto-publishing of your self-hosted WordPress blog to Facebook and Twitter.

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