Secrets of a Great Blog

Blogging, it’s a great way to get you voice out there, but it’s not as simple as it sounds. Your blog is the central location, or hub, of where you should share your thoughts and insights, so doing it right is extremely important.

To have a great blog you need to ask yourself a few questions first; who’s your audience, what’s the focus of your blog, what are your goals? Although the look and feel of your blog are also extremely important, people won’t stay around and read your posts if the content is weak, so focus on creating awesome content first, and find your voice, and then jazz up the look of your blog.

In Content Rules, Ann Handley sets out a great set of 5 “rules” to a great blog that everyone should follow and keep in the back of their mind at all times:

1. Post Title: Right away readers want to know what the post is about, so getting the title write is a must.
2. First Sentence: The title is what first catches the readers attention, the first sentence is what hooks them. Ask a question. Say something mildly controversial, or even just something interesting. Whichever way you go, just remember to keep it simple.
3. Use Bullets or Lists: Lists are easier to read, and are a great way to organize key points, just like I’m doing now!
4. Add an Image: Relevant photos add personality and interest to your post, just make sure to read the copywrite license and credit the photographer.
5. Close With a Question: End with something that invites your reader to interact with you in the comments section. Even something as simple as “what do you think?” works, though something more specific to entice your readers works even better.

Hopefully that helps explain this blogging thing, and if you want some more direction to making a great blog, check out Mitch Joel, who’s great at creating a conversation with his readers, Bernedette Jiwa, who’s great at keeping things straight and to the point, and Seth Godin, who’s got a way with words. And while we’re talking about great bloggers, who are some of your favourites?

4.74 Degrees of Kevin Bacon?

Mark Zukerberg at the F8 event in Septemeber 2011.

We’ve all played the game “6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon (or Separation)” or know if it, right? Right. Well, according to Facebook, that game is now a thing of the past. Now, thanks to Facebook, we are all 4.74 degrees away from one another.

 

Facebook released Monday night (in a blog, imagine that!) that each Facebook user is only 4.74 people away from knowing one another. In theory, this means that I am only four Facebook friends away from somebody in China. And, to make these facts seem even crazier, the average user in the USA is only 3 people away from another user in the USA.

 

This shows just how connected the world we live in is. Only three years ago, in 2008, we were 5.28 degrees from one another. If we can lose one person in between one another in three years, where will we be five years from now? It makes me think about networking, to be honest. We’re taught to network because you never know who will know someone with a helpful connection, but now the odds of knowing that person with the connection seems much higher.

 

Personally, I think this is a scary finding. The fact that we’re only four people away from someone we’ve never met (as 92% of us are) really makes me wonder who has seen my profile. It also makes me want to go through my friend list to see just how many of my friends I actually personally know.

 

Oh yeah, and it makes me wonder how Kevin Bacon fits into all of this – is he even on Facebook, or is he stuck with the now old fashioned 6 degrees of separation?

Researching Made Easy

It’s my second year at St. Lawrence College; I thought I knew what I needed to know about the school to help me succeed, but this week, thanks to MCOM 5, I learned different.

 

This week in our writing for marketing class, we had the librarian come up to talk to us about a very important fact – that we have amazing library resources. Yes, I knew we had a library before this week, and I did know about EBSCOhost, but I never knew just how big these resources were.

 

Let’s start with the physical library itself (though its catalogue is also online). I knew that the library on campus was pretty big, and that we could get things from the other SLC campuses, but we can also order things in from other campuses. Talk about never having to buy another book for a school project ever!

 

And just when you didn’t think it could get better, as a SLC student, I also have access to online resources that has cost the school thousands of dollars (and that’s the discounted price). As I said above, I knew we had EBSCOhost, but I never realized how many other online resources we had, and just how intricate they were. Did I mention there are also online music databases? Winning!

 

Though, when it comes down to it, the best part of learning all of this was listening to the librarian speak. It was easy to tell that she was so passionate about what she did and that she loved doing it.

 

I loved the fact that I finally learned all about the library and it’s recourses, but I feel like they should have been mentioned long before now. There have been so many projects (this year alone) that could of used a bit of extra research using these resources, though now it’s easy to say that I’ll be using the library (and all it’s resources) as much as possible.

 

What Happens When A Brand Gets Too Big?

 

An overturned news van is seen in the middle of College Avenue as students protest against the firing of Penn State football coach Joe Paterno in State College, Penn., on November 9.

What about when loyalty crosses the line? Do you think that Pepsi would ever sabotage Coke to get ahead? What about rioting over a CEO getting fired? Because that’s what happened after Joe Paterno was fired Wednesday night.

 

Unless you live under a rock, I’m sure you’ve all heard about Joe Paterno, the ex-coach for Penn State’s football team. Incase you don’t here’s a quick catch up: Joe was recently fired (as was the College’s president) over a child sex abuse scandal. Yes, he was found innocent, and was set to retire at the end of the year, but I believe the college did the right thing in letting him go a bit early.

 

Penn State is a brand. You can argue with me over this, but my mind won’t sway. You can buy Penn State merchandise, and you can live and breath Penn State football, which is what many did late Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

 

I think that all those who rioted at the news of Paterno’s firing should be put to shame. They didn’t think about what’s the big issue here, the fact that the college fired their football coach, or the young boys (some who are now young men) who are trying to receive justice. If the allegations are proven to be true not only do I feel horribly for the boys who were mistreated, I also feel ashamed for the students who rioted the streets and tipped over vehicles at the news of Paterno’s firing.

 

Maybe, as Ashton Kutcher learned from this situation, we should wait to get the full story before acting out and making ourselves look like idiots.

A Whole New Meaning To Halloween House

When you think “Halloween House” what comes to mind? A haunted house decorated with spider webs and pumpkins? What about a house with flashing lights and singing pumpkins, because that’s what’s on almost everyone’s mind this year.

 

A house in Riverside, California became an overnight Internet sensation when a video of the house’s Halloween light show went viral. The house had four pumpkins “singing” LMAFO’s Party Rock Anthem, and had a light show that went along with the music, all programmed by the house owner himself (and only cost him an extra fifty dollars on the electrical bill). CNN and many other major news outlets even got in on the viral video.

 

I first heard about this video through my Facebook news feed, when almost everyone was linking to this video only a few weeks ago. At first I didn’t watch, but eventually I caved in, and I’m glad I did because this house was amazing. I’ve seen a few videos on Youtube of Christmas light shows, but never have I liked them as much as I like the “party rock house” (and neither did others, as none of the Christmas houses went viral).

 

Not only is this a great example of a viral video, it’s been great publicity for LMFAO. The band even showed up at the house to show their support, preform along with the house, and even film a commercial.

 

Even with all that said, what I think is most amazing is not the five million plus views on Youtube, but the audience of 2000 people who showed up for the unadvertised nightly shows… Now if only I could of found my way to Riverside last weekend.

What happens on the Internet stays on the Internet, right?

The police block streets near the Oakland City Hall as the Occupy Oakland protesters march towards the city hall on October 25, 2011 in California (AFP Photo / Kimihiro Hoshino)

Wrong. And honestly, it hasn’t felt like that for quite a while.

The other day, while I was wasting time on Tumblr, I came across an article titled “US cops tried to erase online evidence of brutality”. Basically, the article talks about how a US law enforcement agency has asked Google to remove various Youtube videos that contain police brutality, and how other countries have done the same thing. On top of this, the government agencies have also asked Google to disclose the private data of these uploaders.

Just recently we have touched upon the topic of public relations and publicity in class, so I can see where these agencies are coming from. They don’t want theses videos on the Internet of cops illegally attacking citizens for it only gives that city’s police team a bad reputation.

In my opinion, asking Google to take the videos off Youtube and to disclose the private data of the uploader isn’t the best way to go about it. I feel like there are different ways that the various agencies could of handled this. Not only does this kill the freedom of Youtube, but also it’s sort of “big brother-ish”. I know that if I were one of these people who had uploaded a video, I’d want the public to be aware of what is going on, and not have them sit in the dark like the law enforcement teams want.

As I said, I can see both sides of this issue, though the idea of the US law enforcement groups playing “big brother” sort of freaks me out – if they want to get rid of these Youtube videos, what else have they taken care of?

It’s only an event if there are balloons

Taken opening day, as hundreds of people raced in.

There were no balloons, but the H&M opening was definitely an event, sorry Kathy! An event is something that brings forth interaction between the company/brand and the customer, and that is exactly what went down at the Cataraqui Centre yesterday.

We’re not even a year into our program, and yet here we were, Rebecca Bax and I, coming up with marketing ideas left, right and centre. It’s not everyday that the stores around H&M have over 300 people standing right in front of you! About half an hour later, we were holding 20% coupons to Regis Salons in our hands.

The other thing we discussed was how there was no radio station airing live from the mall. I must admit, this was mainly Rebecca’s idea, but adding my two cents, I thought that it would of made so much sense for FlyFM to be there, as they were doing H&M give-a-ways all week (which I was a lucky winner of). Again, as we left there was a small FlyFM booth to the side where they continued to do give-a-ways into the night.

I’m sure we thought up other things, but that doesn’t matter. The fact these two ideas we thought up were actually put to action in front of us blew my mind. Six weeks into the program, and we thought up ideas that other companies put to action.

Now, I could go on about how much I loved the H&M, and how I’m glad we finally have one, but I’m pretty sure that I’d bore you all to death (and not to mention how off topic I’d get), so I’m just going to leave saying this: you don’t have to have balloons at your event, but you know how to attract the people.

Wait, I Have To Do You By When?

No matter how much I have to get done, or even how long of a time period I have to do anything, prioritizing (and even some procrastination) will always stand in my way.

The teachers in the course talked about it during orientation week; prioritizing your work, and the schedule in which everything gets finished in, will save you in the long run. I strongly agree with this, but I feel like there’s always something that can get in the way wither it be because of yourself (procrastination) or because of external forces you can’t control (really mom, do I have to go have dinner now?).

I live off my day planner (and iPhone notes, and sticky notes, and even the notes part in Robin’s PIM) and without it, I would get no work done. If you don’t plan out your work, and what assignment you should do when, I strongly suggest you start this. Procrastination is sort of my middle name, so if I don’t plan everything out, I’m screwed. I don’t even think I’d know when to eat if I didn’t plan my days out.

Though, with all that said, throwing caution to the wind (in moderation) is always a good thing in moderation. After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Tonight for example, I’m going to the Lights concert in town. Yes, this has been penned in in my schedule for months now, but once I leave the house tonight, I’m not letting myself think of my schoolwork.

So as I get ready to stop thinking of ways of selling products and mediums to Baby Boomers, I have to remember that after tonight’s few hours of fun it’s back to the grind tomorrow.

Remembering A Visionary

Unless you live under a rock (but even there I bet you’d still get your 3G service), Steve Jobs’ unfortunate death is no longer news to you. Although, if you’re anything like me right now, whenever you hear mention of his name you still get a little teary eyed. Steve, like many other deaths over the past very years, came too soon; he was only 56 at the time of his passing. And again, much like other deaths over the past few years, not only will he be truly missed, but everything that could have been because of him will also go missed and maybe even unheard of.

iMac G3

Both pro-Apple and anti-Apple people can agree on the fact that Steve Jobs was great at what he did. He took his company from being ridiculed and turned it into a culture and even managed to change the music industry along the way. Even when Apple wasn’t dominating, people still liked their computers because they “looked cool” – I can remember being in elementary school and having to race to the computer lab to use one of the five “cool colour computers” (I also remember going out to buy a cheap pair of white earbuds because I wanted to be like the ”cool people with iPods”). And now, as I sit in Starbucks on my MacBook Pro with my iPhone 4 next to me, I feel a sense of pride because I am “in the in-crowd”, I am a part of the culture that other people adore.

And when it came to the advertisements and innovation… Steve Jobs was boss. He marketed his company and product without even having to mention what he was selling. iPod commercials were fun and stylized, and after seeing one, all you wanted to do was throw on your own iPod, if you were lucky enough to have one, and dance around like that shadow man in the commercial. Even Apple’s Super Bowl commercial in 1987 (a time when many of us weren’t even around) is etched into the back of our minds. I could continue on, listing many other past campaigns of Apple but they all end with the same message – Apple exceeded with advertising and marketing.

I could go on about how much I love my iPhone, or how adored my iPod is, or even how I couldn’t live without my MacBook, but it’d probably be a waste of time as many of you have probably heard it all before. But instead, at this time, I would like to thank Steve Jobs for everything he has done, both his products and strategies we have seen over the years. Without him, I would of spent the last hour or so yelling at my PC as I wrote this, while growing frustrated with my Blackberry. Without him, I wouldn’t be apart of this culture he has created. Without him, life would of sucked.

Steve Jobs “Think Different” (campaign, 1997) Tribute

New Year, New Semester, New Program

Oh, St. Lawrence, it’s been months since I’ve had to navigate your maze like hallways, making myself late for class – even after a year of already attending the College, I still find myself getting lost. The only difference between this year and last year is that I can finally be proud of the program I am in, for I am now an Advertising and IMC student.

Last year, as I mentioned above, I attended SLC, but as a clueless Arts and Science student; the only program where choosing what courses you want to take is just about as hard as deciding what you actually want to do with your life. Honestly, I feel like the only good thing that came out of taking that program was learning the difference between high school and college, and how the expectations of college professors are different than any other teacher I’ve had before. That, and realizing what I wanted to do this year. Now, I feel like I have a bit of a leg up on some of my classmates only because I have a year of college under my belt, whereas some classmates are straight out of high school, and some never having attended higher-level learning.

One thing I didn’t learn about was blogging.

I can’t say I’m too scared about blogging, but saying I was completely fear free would be a lie. For the past two years I’ve maintained a personal “short form” blog, which allows me to share my thoughts on various aspects of my life, but having to do this is very different. This is for reflecting upon my schooling and the advertising world.

Without sounding cowardly, I must admit that my biggest fear with this blog is being judged by my peers (wither on a professional level or not).  But whatever, right? We’ll be spending the next three years together, so why not get to know each other and become comfortable around one another, and, thinking about it now, blogging like this will help us learn to become more open with each other (much like our MCOM5 bridging assignment).

At this point I’m fairly certain that I have started to ramble, I’m going to wrap this up by saying that I am looking forward to having this blog as a weekly output for my schooling, and I hope that I can overlook it as an assignment, and truly enjoy it (and hopefully continue it on after this semester is over).