By Anne-Catherine Dargis Senior Account Manager at SocialKaty, Inc.

Well, they say no publicity is bad publicity.  But maybe if you’re on “Kitchen Nightmares” you should tread fairly lightly.  And if you can’t really handle negative feedback on your Facebook page, just try to avoid going full-on meltdown.  Here are a few (no brainer?) tips on how to NOT handle a Facebook crisis that I learned by watching Amy’s Baking Company Bakery Boutique’s social media disaster.

1) Don’t berate your fans

Typically, I suggest staying away from being mean to your fans, even if you think they’re wrong.  We’re taught in grade school that name-calling isn’t nice, and if it isn’t nice in grade school, it isn’t nice on social media.

2) Don’t get defensive

I get that your business is important to you, and it absolutely should be.  But by getting defensive in the heat of the moment, you give people a chip in the armor.  If you stand by your decisions, you can explain your reasoning clearly.

3) Don’t challenge the Internet

People will latch on to a PR crisis.  Don’t add fuel to the fire by asking the Internet to “Bring it on.”   They will, and it will only get messier.

4) Don’t deny responsibility

If something bad has happened to your company, it can be really overwhelming to try to turn it around.  But don’t deny responsibility for your actions.  If you’ve done something wrong, admit it, fix it, and move on. 

(I promise that if the account was actually hacked, and the FBI is involved, I will retract this statement. In the meantime, I’m sticking with it).

Keeping it classy on Facebook (and any social media site) is all about treating others the way you’d like to be treated.  Even when you feel you’re being victimized, as in this extreme example, stick to you guns, own up to your mistakes and ignore the rest. 

Account Managers wanted to join our team in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.

The SocialKaty team thrives on creativity, continuous learning, autonomy, and fun to create awesome communities for our clients. We strive daily to develop engaged online communities that generate web traffic, positive recommendations, and more findability. Basically - we love the challenge of grabbing someone’s attention through content!    

Are you the right fit?

You are equally comfortable working with campaign messaging, developing creative social solutions, and managing relationships with clients and vendors. Reports and data are not disregarded as “business stuff” but information you use to help inform the strategy behind your next creative idea. And you’ve probably impressed friends by trying every tool that helps get the most response from content created on Facebook and Twitter. 

Some skills that will help you succeed at SocialKaty:

●      Eagerness to confront challenges

●      Understanding of the storytelling process

●      Experience in client facing engagements

●      Organization!!! Multiple projects are the norm

●      Experience with social-driven ad campaigns (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter)

●      Basic Excel skills

●      Familiarity with creative tools (Adobe, Pixelmator, The GIMP)

Still reading? Take the next step!

1. Email your resume to jobs@socialkaty.com with the subject “Account Manager 2013”

2. Include links to projects, ideas, social accounts, pictures, etc.

3. Complete this brief survey and wait for a response!  

By Adam Crouch Account Manager at SocialKaty, Inc.

In today’s society, the dating scene has become a bigger experiment than most science projects in your local middle schools. From big name sites like Match.com or eHarmony, finding your match has become more and more difficult for singles across the country.

We had the opportunity to meet Lakshmi Rengarajan, a Chicago resident who started a company called “Me So Far” which is a platform and event designed to bring what’s interesting about people to light. One might question the effectiveness of an event that hosts 65 single men and women for an evening that includes 10 presenters, an hour and half long happy hour and limited access to online profiles before & after the event, but the results don’t lie in that Me So Far is slowly becoming a popular destination to find a potential spouse in the city of Chicago.

While giving our office a presentation on how the events take place, the diverse crowd of guests that participate and the positive feedback she has received, I think it was clear that our entire office was intrigued by this company and each of us had at least 3 friends that we wanted to sign up immediately. We learned the focus of the events are to bring diverse people together, while giving them a fun and efficient way to learn about the things that don’t come up in traditional conversations.

Although a Me So Far event is not your conventional way to meet a potential boyfriend or girlfriend, it allows people to steer away from the standard bar scene that consistently offers loud music and sloppy lingo with the end result usually being a name to stalk on social media. Instead, 10 presenters give a 5 minute presentation, showing a slideshow prompted by a list of Me So Far questions, designed to reveal & not pitch to an audience of 50 listeners. The emphasis is on the diverse array of questions, not the standard “What do you do for a living” or “What is your favorite food?”.

After the presenters are finished, the floor opens up for an hour and half long happy hour where those in attendance can mingle and get to know one another on a more personal level. A list of names who attended the event is sent out the following day but guests only have 72 hours to reach out to those they sparked an interest in.

In the short time we spent with Lakshmi, learning about results from past events and the passion that she holds for this company, it is a no brainer to me that if you are struggling to find your match and you’re sick of filling out online dating profiles, then you should step outside the norm and attend a Me So Far event.

By Jake Gunst Account Manager at SocialKaty, Inc

We spend a lot of time patting our savvy digital minds on the back, but, there’s a reason call-to-actions work. If you tell someone to follow you on Twitter, they’re more likely to do it. Want someone to leave a comment? Tell them.

Don’t get all tied up in psychology. Want to get a message across? Just keep things short and clear.

The (perceived) in-joke

People like being ‘in’ on things. Why did you read this blog post? You might have clicked this title because:

A) You caught the reference to Lincoln’s first inaugural address.

B) You caught the reference to Steven Pinker’s excellent book on violence.

C) You thought ‘homo interneticus’ was clever.

D) You’re my friend/coworker, and I guilted you into it.

Your internet attention span ≠ Your IRL attention span

Look how short this blog post is. Seriously, just LOOK at it. People have short attention spans online. To paraphrase Emerson Spartz, “When writing online, pretend like you’re paying yourself $1000 for each word you can take out.”

Who is saying it/what’s the filter?

“Energy is contagious”: How would you interpret this if Lady Gaga said it? What about Stephen Hawking? What about the CDC? Medium is still the message. We like things that we already like. Keep this in mind when you’re trying to get into a new space. 

Effort is expensive

I mean, you could be looking at cat videos right now. When you understand the opportunity cost of your audience’s effort, you’ll understand why they think your message is so unimportant. Who is saying it/what’s the filter “Energy is contagious.” How would you interpret this if Lady Gaga said it? What about Stephen Hawking?

Pictures!

By Krysten Beck Account Manager at SocialKaty, Inc.

It seems like every brand on Twitter is trying to get the most attention, be the loudest and gain the most traction per tweet. If you’re like me and see another “RT to Win” contest, you might just pull your hair out (this is bad considering baldness is out this summer) - but what is there really for brands to do on this outlet any longer?

Twitter’s limitations for content has pushed brands to create new ways to make their content the cats pajamas - enter, The Weather Channel.

From April 29 to May 3, TWC sat their interns at a desk and aired a live feed of their day online. Sounds boring… especially if it’s footage of anything like my my internship… Just me making a lot of coffee (but obviously looking fab doing so). Here’s the kicker: They added a lot of wind.

“Our Weather Channel interns got so excited about Tornado Week they wanted to recreate a Twitter powered Tornado in our office - so we did, and sat them right in the middle of it! Now you are in control of the winds. Every public mention of #TornadoWeek on Twitter raises the scale and boosts the winds. You can even Tweet at the interns using the @TornadoWeek handle. Hit 1,000,000 mentions and we will turn up the wind for a full blown EF-5 tornado inside the Weather Channel offices!” - The Weather Channel

Hey, look, weather is fun again! Or at least, making interns look like fools is.

(Credit: The Weather Channel)

TWC was probably banking on the human condition of malice more than their love of weather - but this tactic did get people tweeting and actually talking about TWC in terms other than “what’s the temperature” and “is it going to rain again?” After being picked up by some major news cover, this #TornadoWeek turned into a thing

After a lengthy amount of research, the only ending data I collected from #TornadoWeek was that the @TornadoWeek account got 49,648 tweets using it’s hashtag. Looks like they didn’t reach their EF-5 tornado goal - but they did get winds up to a simulated 140 MPH.

Although, I might be the only one still talking about #TornadoWeek it is a great example of how a brand can bring back interest to something tried and true - like an annual set of programming - and incorporate modern marketing to a slew of potential new fans where the effect would be the greatest.

I’m excited to see what The Discovery Channel makes their interns do for #SharkWeek.

By Evelyn Loomis Senior Account Manager at SocialKaty, Inc.

Growth in the size of a Facebook community is one of the top metrics brands tend to measure in order to gauge success in social media strategy. But what does that number actually mean and how do you determine the true value of a fan? Is having a community of 2 million fans with low engagement just as valuable as one of 10,000 with high engagement?

The answer is - it depends on your brand’s goals and the segments you are hoping to attract. If your product is a high-end luxury brand, a few purchases a month may mean an immediate pay off in social ROI - however if you’re looking for frequent repeat purchases of a lower-priced offering, your goals, target audience, and strategy will be quite different.

Some key questions to consider when determining your brand’s fan value may include:

— Are your fans more likely to spend (either more, or more often) than non-fans?

— Do your fans advocate or share your brand’s content with others?

— Do your fans speak positively or have a strong emotional connection with your brand?

Taking the time to understand where your brand sits with your audience will give you the insight necessary to determine just how valuable a fan is and how to develop your strategy appropriately - whether the goal is mass acquisition or highly targeted segmentation. Using metrics to determine this initial strategy and setting a realistic budget for what it costs to gain and keep fans will help you reach your goals - but keep in mind that social strategy is about more than just growth. Fan acquisition means nothing if your fans aren’t being motivated to repeatedly engage and take some form of action.

Facebook fans are unique in that by “Liking” a page, they are giving you permission to communicate with them directly - don’t take this opportunity lightly. Make sure that you are providing them with the right content to keep them engaged and interested with a solid social media plan and strategic community management.

In a recent study the average fan was found to be worth $174 to a company - although this differs quite dramatically across industries. Does your brand understand the true value of a fan?

Calling all social media enthusiasts! Are you looking for an internship experience in a fast-paced, dynamic, and culturally unique environment? Then look no further!

SocialKaty is looking for motivated and hardworking candidates for our Summer 2013 Internship Program! The highly selective three-month internship at our River North office in Chicago provides direct experience working with our team of community managers and clients to implement cross-platform social media campaigns, promotions and contests for CPG’s, retailers, restaurants, non-profits, e-commerce sites, technology platforms and dozens of small businesses.

Join the SocialKaty team to collaborate with Account Managers, Designers, and the management team to better understand the mechanics and best practices of marketing through social media channels and how to prepare for a career in the social media field.

Grasshoppers will be exposed to a number of learning environments throughout the program including but not limited to the following:

— Training sessions on Facebook, Twitter, and Content Marketing
— Participation in brainstorming and strategic planning sessions
— Exploration of social analytics and advertising
— Assisting in content creation initiatives   

1.  
2. Want to apply for the position? Follow these simple steps!
3.  
4. 1. Complete a brief survey
5. 2. Forward your resume to jobs@socialkaty.com with subject heading “Grasshopper Summer 2013.”
6. 3. Attach any additional previous examples of work if applicable.
7.  
8.  

To be considered for the internship program, applicants must be able to work in our Chicago office, be curious and self-motivated.

Please note that this is a full-time, unpaid internship which will begin on June 4th, 2013.

By Adam Crouch Account Manager at SocialKaty, Inc.

It’s no surprise that Kobe Bryant would join the masses and create a Twitter account to connect with his fans, but little did we know he would soon become one of the most talked about Twitter accounts on the web.

From funny photos with his teammates when the Lakers were on the verge of missing the playoffs for the first time in 8 years, to establishing a new nickname (Vino) or his famous hospital room photos after a season ending injury, Kobe has created his own personal blog via Twitter that has fans on their toes waiting for his every tweet. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t one of the first 200K followers he had in the first 12 hours after creating his account, but seeing one of the greatest basketball players ever share his personal life to the world has been nothing but entertaining.

Twitter gives its users the ability to share whatever is on their mind and Kobe is no different than you and I when it comes to tweeting his feelings. Within the first month, he made worldwide headlines as he called out a fan publically for tweeting a gay slur at him. He later made an example of this person by making it known he was against this kind of language. It’s events like this that makes Twitter a beneficial platform for celebrities and athletes to stand up for what they believe in while being human at the same time.

Kobe will always be known as one of the hardest working players in basketball and his love for the game has never been in question. After having season ending surgery 1 week before the playoffs, Twitter has become his personal interpreter to share his every thought on the Lakers, his teammates and to some, his possible coaching future in the NBA. The media has blown this into a national debate on whether it’s good that Kobe tweets this much or if he should stop. As someone that loves social media and loves the NBA, I can honestly say it’s great for the game and I look forward to what #Vino has to tweet next.

#TeamKobe     

By Alanna, Jaime & Katie Interns at SocialKaty, Inc.

Social TV apps, like Zeebok, are new tools for brands to interact with consumers on their turf

We all have our TV guilty pleasures. Perhaps everyone judges you at the office for having an undying love of trashy reality TV. Or maybe your girlfriend really isn’t that into Game of Thrones. The solution to being able to share your thoughts with those that care is the second screen experience. You are now able to experience social TV through the use of tablets, smartphones and the internet.  A 2011, Nielsen report showed about 40 percent of Americans use a mobile or tablet device while watching TV and 42 percent of them are using social media.

Perhaps one of the biggest engagement opportunities for ANYONE to participate in is live events. ‘Live-tweeting’ is a verb used to describe the action of engaging on Twitter for continuous period of time with a sequence of focused Tweets. The focus can be a big live event like watching the Grammy’s or joining the weekly discussion about your favorite television show. It can even be an event you create yourself like a Q&A session with your followers.

Aside from dissecting every detail in real time with a like community, live-tweeting has proven to consistently boost retweets, @mentions and new followers. This is all too important for brands as the second screen experience has developed into a brand new frontier for marketing and consumer interaction. One way brands are doing this is incorporating hashtags into their television commercials. For example, Target got ready for its Spring push using #TargetSpring. Additionally, nearly half of the this year’s Super Bowl ads referenced a Twitter hashtag.

The beauty of using hashtags is that it has become so simple to connect in real-time with other people regarding specific topics or TV shows. News talk shows such as The Rachel Maddow Show, or HuffPost Live have also incorporated hashtags into their shows to spot viewers who are discussing their content, or the issues at hand. Viewers can simply use the hashtags given to Tweet at the show to express interest, and connect with a diverse group of people who share that interest.

For brands, this interaction encourages potential consumers to take on a more active role in their viewing experience. While TiVo and DVR devices gain popularity - in the process destroying television advertising as we know it - live-tweeting and mobile applications like Zeebox keep advertisers off the proverbial cliff.

Zeebox is social networking and social television platform that is leading the market in the social TV industry. Downloadable to either Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android devices, this FREE application is available on both smartphone, tablet and/or web browser. Deemed “your TV sidekick” the Zeebox app helps users find out more about what’s being mentioned or displayed in the show in real-time. The app provides the user with an interactive TV guide that shows what tweets are being posted about the show, related links and news pieces, cast information, program credits as well as live votes, polls and even a nationally synchronized Zeebox game.

Overall, the second screen experience drives discussions amongst brands and fans alike. Apps like Zeebox and the use of hashtags are becoming more and more prevalent. By harnessing the power of technology, brands give consumers the ability to form relationships with their content.

SocialKaty is continuing our exponential growth in 2013 and we need additions to our business development team. This is a unique opportunity to work directly with our upper management team and gain experience by meeting our partner organizations. We are seeking an extremely motivated Business Development Intern (90 day internship) to help support our client relationships and agency relations.

Every day as our Business Development Intern will be different and fast paced. Duties include:

·       MEETING NEW PEOPLE.

·       SocialKaty’s Business Development team meets as many companies as possible, as fast as possible. Our Biz Dev Interns will help facilitate these meetings.

·       Hands-on training directly from President & Vice President of Business Development.

·       Social Marketing campaign ideation and campaign pitching.

·       Research industry and social media trends.

·       Learn how to translate a client meeting into a scope of work.

·       Outreach! Use your love for digital marketing to reach new companies, every day.

Qualities we are looking for:

·       A positive attitude, strong work ethic and big personality to our team.

·       Strong interest in meeting new people and learning about new businesses.

·       Good organizational skills. Focus on detail.

·       Must be able to deal with our fast paced environment.

·       A deep passion for marketing.

·       Verbal and written communication skillset.

·       Functional knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint, and other Office programs.

·       Knowledge of graphic design is a huge plus.

Education:

Marketing, Advertising, Communications, or similar curriculum.

This internship is unique, competitive and creative. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to work with a fast-growing Social Media Marketing Agency, so get creative and bring your A-Game! 

How to apply:

If you are interested in applying, please send an email to jobs@socialkaty.com with a subject line reading ”Business Development Internship”.