THE WHITLATCH WEEKLY

Nearly 10 years ago this month, I created my first and last Facebook profile. Sitting in my High School Library towards the end of my Senior year, I cluelessly put together a picture, a couple monumental dates and places, clicked on the "Save" button and wa-la.  Piece of cake. Now, if it could have only stayed that simple.  Social Media profiles are becoming more and more of a reliable source for representation of a person, company, or event. The days of uploading some random picture and being ok with it are gone. Establish what you will be using your Social Media profiles for. Business? Fun? Maybe both? Regardless, your audience needs (and wants) to know what they will be getting. Choosing the right Social Media platforms that fit your lifestyle is key. Don't feel that you MUST HAVE certain accounts to make everyone happy. For instance, I don't use Snapchat or Pinterest. It's just not me. Does that mean Could they work for you? ABSOLUTELY.   YOU MU...

A WEEK FROM NOW, THE NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT WILL HAVE THE FINAL FOUR TEAMS DECIDED. THIS GOT ME THINKING A LITTLE BIT. IF THE BEST OF THE BEST MARKETING PLATFORMS SQUARED OFF, WHO WOULD BE CUTTING DOWN THE NETS AND WHO WOULD BE SENT HOME? DIGITAL MARKETING, VISUAL MARKETING, VIDEO MARKETING, SOCIAL NETWORKING, EVEN SEARCH ENGINES...  DON'T WORRY, I'M NOT GOING TO MATCH UP TWO POTENTIAL #1 SEEDS RIGHT OFF THE BAT. THIS IS BASED ON IF YOU HAD ONE AND ONLY ONE SOURCE OF MARKETING FOR YOUR COMPANY/BRAND. WHO WOULD YOU PICK? NO GREY AREAS. JUST ONE. YOU CAN BE ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, YOUTUBE, EVEN PINTEREST, BUT NO MORE THAN ONE. AND KEEP IN MIND GOOGLE. YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU WOULD NEVER WANT TO BE FOUND ON GOOGLE? YIKES!  LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, MEET OUR DIGITAL MARKETING ELITE 8 -  Facebook                       ______  ( WINNER ) Pinterest           ...

Snapchat, Tweets, Trump , a lingering Bern   that just won't go away, and Clinton could return to the White House.  Man, I bet ole Abe and George Dub are literally rolling over in their graves as I am typing this. The 2016 Presidential Election is definitely unique, let's put it that way. Unlike past elections, Social Media has played a significant role in the election. From Facebook to Twitter , even Snapchat and Instagram have had their persuasion and benefiting moments for a majority of the candidates. Go ahead, hate on the Millennials. It's our fault that little blue bird even exists. Like this share that. But like it or not, Millennials are as involved and as tuned in as really any generation currently. The Presidential Candidates , more importantly, their campaign managers, are fully aware of this and taking advantage of that. Let's take a look at some of the key reasons why Social Media works, even in politics. BE GENUINE   Bad acting...

DO YOU EVER FEEL AS IF YOU'RE BEING TOLD WHAT TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE OFTEN THESE DAYS? YOU MUST JOIN THIS GROUP. YOU MUST POST THAT PICTURE. YOU MUST DO THIS. YOU MUST DO THAT. AND THAT'S JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG. FACEBOOK , TWITTER , YOUTUBE, ANDROID OR I-PHONE, GOOGLE OR YAHOO. IT'S LIKE WE ARE BEING ASKED TO ENLIST IN A SOCIAL MEDIA BRANCH OF THE MILITARY. AM I RIGHT? WHAT STARTED AS A FRIENDLY BLUE BIRD AND A CATCHY THUMBS UP TO EXPRESS OUR FEELINGS OR EMOTIONS, SEEMS TO BE GETTING A LITTLE BIT PUSHY. MARKETING IS ALL AROUND US AT ALL TIMES. PICTURES, SLOGANS, ADVERTISEMENTS, ALL MADE TO PERSUADE OR ATTRACT A CERTAIN AUDIENCE TO A CERTAIN BRAND OR PRODUCT. THIS MARKETING IS COMING AT YOU FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT ANGLES - TELEVISION, RADIO, PRINT, AND ONE OF OUR NEWEST MEMBERS - SOCIAL MEDIA. IF YOU HANDLE YOUR COMPANY'S SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORTS, EACH DAY FEELS LIKE YOU MIGHT O-D ON TWEETS AND LIKES. IT'S OVERWHELMING. BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHICH PLATFORM...

          As everyone knows by now, Social Media is constantly changing. The way we use Social Media, share Social Media, what's popular and what's not, even the way we keep track and evaluate Social Media changes regularly.  But we adapt.  We figure it out.  Develop a plan for 2016 and STICK TO IT. Rome wasn't built in a day, nor will your profile and follower base be. Here are some of the things to expect in Social Media for 2016.            Images are becoming more and more vital to a successful marketing strategy.  People like pictures or videos more than words.  Period.  Instead of reading some long paragraph, people would prefer seeing a picture or info-graphic to express what you want to say.  Who has time to read these days anyway, right?  In 2016, companies will actually implement specific image strategies for their marketing.  What catches people's eyes?  What p...

With 2015 coming to a close, Social Media also requires some end of the year attention.  Here are the Top Ten Chores for Social Media that you must not ignore as the new year approaches... 1.) Social Media Hygiene A very effective way of saving your self some time, is doing some winter cleaning throughout your Social Media platforms.  Go through both your followers and those you follow and see if they are still relevant and worth following.  This will take out certain content that isn't valuable to yourself or your business.  Email Contacts, Followers, Lists, Connections, go through them all carefully and weed out the ones that are cluttering your newsfeed. 2.) Am I Mobile Enough? If you haven't thought about how your customers or audience see you on their mobile devices, you need to get with the program, quick.  Internet users spend over 50% of their time on mobile devices in comparison to a desktop or laptop, not to mention Facebook alone reports close ...

Nobody really likes Mondays.  Am I right?  Especially the Monday that falls after a long weekend filled with turkey, football, and finding that unbeatable price on Black Friday, only to see that it is even cheaper on "Cyber Monday."  It's a beautiful thing isn't it?   Now back to reality... Back to emails, meetings, phone calls, and your fellow employee who always has to use the microwave right when you need to.  I don't like Mondays anymore than you do, but that doesn't mean they have to go to waste!  The Monday segment of my blog will focus on the "Must-Do's" to grow your business via Social Media.  So cheer up... snap out of that food coma, and let's make something of our favorite day of the week! Mr. Hundred Dollar Bill himself, Benjamin Franklin, once said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."  This applies to Social Media, especially Social Media Marketing, in many ways. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN OR STRATEGY...