Lip-Sticking

58 Days and Counting to the "Social-Media" Summer Olympic Games in London

By Guest Blogger, Donna DeClemente, Donna's Promo Talk

The London Summer Olympic Games are now only 58 days away from the opening ceremony. You can see the exact countdown on the Official Website here. I've been blogging about the Olympics since the 2008 Summer Games were held in Beijing and much has changed over the course of four years. The 2012 Games are being proclaimed by many as the first social-media Olympics, so this is sure to be one of many posts that I'll write.

Longtime sponsor of the Olympics, Visa, has launched their first "social-by-design" integrated marketing campaign for the Games, Go World. The "global cheer" campaign is the largest in Visa's 25 year history as a sponsor of the Olympic Games.

The initial thinking behind the campaign came about during some early brainstorming sessions. The marketing group together with their agency team realized that this summer many fans will likely be cheering for the athletes through social-media channels, so why not organize the cheering and own it? Visa then turned to its own Olympic focus group, the 60 Olympic athletes who make up Team Visa, which include swimmer Michael Phelps, runner Lopez Lomong and tennis player Li Na. The athletes told Visa that cheers, in fact, do make a difference.

Amp Up Your Social Media Marketing

Guest post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess

Don't you just love staring at a blank screen? I know I do (just kidding!) Even after all of my years of writing, I am not a huge fan of the blank screen. I just know it's taunting me to "Get Writing!" or something equally as obnoxious. To thwart it I have a to-do, or in my case a to-write, list. Take that, blank screen! I kind of know what I'm going to blog about or put as a Facebook status update and that, my writerly friends, is a boon to my creativity. 

What's on your mind?

by Yvonne DiVita

Facebook wants to know what's on my mind. Here's what's on my mind...

1. Living life to its fullest. While I have limitations set on me by my health, I often think I'm missing out on some of the best things in life just because I am a passive observer. 

2. Laundry. Somehow, I don't think anyone on Facebook wants to know I'm thinking about laundry. So, I won't elaborate on it here.

3. My kids. Yes, I think about my kids every day. I miss my daughter and her family back in Buffalo (hi Frankie!) and I miss my son, a lot. I miss my Mom and my sisters and I so miss my brother. But, none of the missing makes me want to move back to NY.

Friday Musings: Procrastination

by Yvonne DiVita

We all do it. Procrastinate. Some of us are more guilty of it than others. We push off tasks that we aren't ready to do - to tomorrow or next week or next month. And, when it comes time to do those tasks, we're less prepared to tackle them than we were at the onset. Why?

Experts abound to explain why people do this. In the end, knowing why doesn't always solve the problem.

Take travel for business, for instance. Me, I hate traveling. If I have a business trip on my schedule, I'll ignore it till the cows come home. Almost as if it might go away if I pretend it's not there. The problem then is - by the time I realize it's practically upon me, the cost of airfares have gone up more than $100 and I'm angry at myself for not planning ahead. <sigh>

Facebook promotions together with ads are a winning combination

By Guest Blogger, Donna DeClemente, Donna's Promo Talk

The big Facebook IPO day came and went last Friday. It was a huge disappointment and the stock continues to get worse this week. I'm glad I'm not one who bought any of it. First General Motors announced a few days before the launch that they're pulling all their Facebook advertising, $10 million worth, because it hasn't delivered effective results. Then a study comes out that says nearly half of Facebook users never click on ads. This survey was conducted by advertising agency Greenlight which found that 44% of Facebook users “never,” or will ever, click on ads or sponsored posts while using the social media site.

However, General Motors is not walking away from Facebook by any means. They stated that Facebook is still a very important part of their marketing strategy and they will continue to focus on creating engaging content on their page and to solicit feedback from their fans. So this says that content is still king and always has been, no mater what the medium. Running promotions on your Facebook page and offering your fans chances to win prizes and receive special discounts and offers is still one of the top reasons that users visit and Like a Facebook page. Those users that engage on a page by entering a sweepstakes or contest and then share that activity with their friends is the type of social media advertising that is working.

Are You Making The Most of Facebook?

Guest post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess

Just when you get a handle on Facebook, it changes the next day, right? You update your page and your banner photo and the next thing you know, it’s changing again. Now with the recent implementation of Timeline, are you making the most of your time on this social media platform and is it working for your business the way you hoped it would? There are many steps you can take to enhance the time you spend on Facebook.

Here are five steps you can take to make your business more visible on Facebook:

The Only Choice You Positively MUST Make

By Guest Blogger, Mary Schmidt, Marketing Troubleshooter  

Choosing to operate from abundance not scarcity. Once you make the decision, all other choices flow from that foundation.  And, I'm not talking about how to make more money.   

You don't have to pay a life coach. You don't have to buy books. You don't have to attend seminars.  You don't have to sign up for webinars. You don't have to research "how" to practice abundance.  

You don't even have to talk about it with others. 

You can keep it very, very simple. You choose to operate from a perspective of abundance (or, as some people say, to practice abundance.)   

Why Should Women Be Paid Equal to Men?

by Yvonne DiVita

From satire magazine, Free Wood Post, this ditty on the wife of a certain Republican candidate. While a 'spoof'... it's actually believable. And sad because while she may not have said it, I know women who would applaud this heartily.

Why Should Women Be Paid Equal to Men?

At a meeting with the “Moms For Mitt” group yesterday outside Philadelphia, PA, Ann Romney was asked her opinion on Lilly Ledbetter and equal pay for equal work regarding women’s employment. Without hesitation she responded with another question that seemed to shock even the most staunch conservatives in the room.

“Why should women be paid equal to men? Men have been in the working world a lot longer and deserve to be paid at a higher rate. Heck, I’m a working mom and I’m not paid a dime. I depend on my husband to provide for me and my family, as should most women… and if a woman does work, she should be happy just to be out there in the working world and quit complaining that she’s not making as much as her male counterparts. I mean really, all this wanting to be equal nonsense is going to be detrimental to the future of women everywhere. Who’s going to want to hire a woman, or for that matter, even marry a woman who thinks she is the same, if not better than a man at any job. It’s almost laughable. C’mon now ladies, are you with me on this?” 

Well done, Sarah Wood.<author of the story> 

I laughed out loud. Hope you do, too.

The Death of Coupons

by Yvonne DiVita

RIP coupons. You do not live at my house, anymore. I shop at stores that do not raise their prices and then tempt me in with a cents off coupon. Even when it's doubled.

According to Forbes magazine, JC Penney made a big mistake by getting rid of coupons. Profits are down and Moms everywhere are sending the CMO nasty notes. Apparently, they love wasting time on coupons.

I have been a coupon Queen. I have spent hours and hours clipping coupons, comparing prices, saving what seemed like hundreds of dollars, mostly on groceries. And, I still use an occasional coupon for groceries.

Graduation Will Be Here Soon: Advice for Parents

Guest blog by Hannah Morgan

If have a senior in college or know someone who does, the clock is ticking. There is much to celebrate in the coming weeks. But before you get caught in the pomp and circumstance of the event, can I remind you of something....they need a job and you are probably going to need to help them!  Here are 12 ways you can help them be more successful in job search and in life after college.

• They do not know how to look for work: They were not taught how to do this in school and they may not listen to your advice. What can you do? If the college/school is local, have them meet with the Career Services group or you could hire a coach for them, or you could just hope they are lucky enough to find a job. If you decide you are the best person to help them with their job search, here are six things you can do to help them with job search. 
• Ask them to identify things they like to do, people they like to be around, and/or places they enjoy: Self assessment is key to this process. If they can get excited about something, that is more than half the battle. Help them probe the answers to these questions. This is hard work, even for experienced adults.