INFOGRAPHIC Mania!

Yet another obsession of mine is on the rise: Infographics. My favorite source is found at Visual.ly, a hub of interesting tidbits--from biographies to social media news. Infographics are the perfect way for any old boring information to become a visually pleasing work of art. Using Vizualize, I've even recently made my very own infographic resume! It was super simple, with just a few easy steps:

• Sign up at http://vizualize.me.
• Sync the site with a LinkedIn profile. Even without LinkedIn, users can manually enter information into the given categories.

• Edit profile to fit your needs. I added some stats and awards to create interest. I also highly suggest merging recommendations from a LinkedIn profile onto the infographic resume. What better way to prove your worth than a testimonial?

• Voilà! Just copy the URL and post your infographic where ever your heart desires! I've added mine to Twitter and LinkedIn, and a glimpse is below.
[Other infographic resume websites include Brazen Careerist, Kinzaa, and Re.vu.]

Have you made an infographic recently? Send me a link! I'd love to take a peek.

Online Tools That Have Changed My Life

In 1996, the Reeves Family experienced our first household computer. I remember Battle Chess, the Oregon Trail, and the good old-fashioned joystick. Ah, those were the days.

And then came the internet. Our house was a little behind the times. Back then, I had to ask for permission to log on, which took a full 10 minutes with all those dial tones. (Fun fact, my parents still have dial up internet. Yes, it still exists!) Regardless, our lives have never been the same. From Ask Jeeves to Google, MSN Messenger to Facebook Chat. Here is an ode to the life-changing internet tools I use today and every day:

• Google Docs allows multiple users to view and edit the same file in real time, automatically saving changes along the way. As a college student, it was super convenient to work on a group project without actually physically meeting in person.
• LinkedIn and Twitter as networking tools. Both can be great professional communication tools when used correctly. I personally post my resume on LinkedIn and frequently use the job search capability. On Twitter, I follow inspiring marketing professionals and send personalized messages inquiring about open job positions. Both seem to be much more effective than simply emailing a resume.

• On a more personal note, Pinterest has been sucking up a lot of my time. A platform to organize creativity, this website inspires me with new recipes to try and DIY ideas. It's even inspiring me to create my own DIY blog (...stay tuned for more on that one).

• Groupon, LivingSocial, Deal Garden, etc. These sites offer products that are 50% or more discounted. I've bought restaurant gift cards, hair cuts, and gym memberships. The sky is the limit and the savings are brag-worthy.
• Pandora. If you've read other posts, you've read my praise for Pandora. When iTunes went from charging $0.99 to $1.29... it was game over for me. I began using Pandora on a regular basis to stream music to my computer and phone. It's even experienced some great new changes in its look and usability. Not only is it free, but the ability to make play lists based on one song makes this an instant favorite for a professional/work setting. Just make sure your boss/cube mates/clients are accepting, too.

Of course I could go on (Facebook... Facebook... Facebook...), but you get the point. That's my digital life in a (very very small) nutshell. What web tools have changed your life?

The Great Google Debate

I've recently come across a very interesting topic by a local blogger: Is there a problem with Google? The blog addresses many questions brought to light about Google as a monopoly. As I began to research the topic further, I even caught myself GOOGLING about Google. It got me thinking, really, IS there a problem with Google?

I further checked out the website, FairSearch.org, which points out a number of questionable practices by Google. A few of these include:

• Acquiring of competitive threats--Googlopoly, anyone?
• Deceptive display--Is the search engine showing the most accurate results possible, or is it promoting it's own products instead? (i.e. Google Maps, Places, etc.)
• Unfair treatment of advertisers--Is this powerhouse giving favoritism to it's biggest customers, it's major advertisers, and leaving small mom-and-pop-shops in the dust?

Check out what Google is even saying about itself, in it's own words!! With Google controlling a whopping 70% of the US search market, is this a problem?

As this topic is further brought to the public, I'm intrigued to hear others' opinions and learn the future outcome of this debate.

So... What do you think?

Resilience & Social Media

In today's technology-savvy world, both positive and negative media can go viral overnight. Although many corporations are heavily invested and intrigued by postive viral media, it's important to understand how to overcome the negative aspects of internet attention as well.

A great example is an incident faced by Dominos Pizza; in 2009 two employees were fired after a prank where they filmed a video of themselves contaminating food, later posted to YouTube and viewed by thousands. Dominos President, Patrick Doyle, promptly fired the employees and responded to the disturbing post by releasing an apology to customers, shown below:



Dominos' use of social media helped to restore and even improve the company's image prior to the employee prank crisis. By creating two-way communication between customers and corporation, Dominos further learned deeper issues customers had with the company. Again in response, Dominos launched a full fledged campaign to improve their products offerings and the perception of consumers [Check it out at PizzaTurnAround.com].

How to be resilient using social media:

1. Prepare. Discuss a resilience plan for when the time comes it is needed. Each corporation is different, big or small. Lay out a plan that fits the needs of both customers and employees.


2. Prevent. Specify who is responsible for updating all forms of utilized social media. If more than one person is involved in this process, coordinate efforts so no wires are crossed and no information is duplicated or misconstrued.


3. Predict. Try to remain one step ahead of other forms of media. It is always easier to be the first to admit to something before it is negatively displayed in an uncontrollable form, such as the Dominos videos leaked to YouTube. Predicting allows the issue to be acknowledged before it becomes a problem.


4. Listen-Address-Adapt. In the case of negative publicity, listen to the public. These are your customers and monetary income and they know what the want. It's important to address your consumer's voice and adapt to what they want and need.


5. Finally, remember to Change. Remaining stagnant in an internet-driven world is a fast track way to become obsolete. Continuing to upgrade through social media use keeps companies competitive and innovative in any industry.

OlioBoard Matches My Mood

I have a strange obsession with decorating when I'm bored or stressed, and OlioBoard satisfies my craving without requiring me to drop some major effort or dough. Also referred to as mood boards or vision boards... I'm a recent addict. The site even makes it possible to add specific brands or furniture pieces. Check out the one a friend created:

HINT HINT furniture stores and name brands! Excuse me while I decorate my future house...

Memorable Ads How-To

While watching television recently, a Hershey's Drops commercial got me thinking. Something about the commercial instantly reminded me of the classic Hershey's Kisses Christmas commercial. Three thoughts rapidly invaded my mind...

1. Branding success: The Drops commercial immediately reminded me of the Kisses Christmas commercial, and both fall under the same Hershey's name.


2. Stickiness: Simply put, the ad stuck. Within minutes I logged onto the internet and began writing. Five minutes later when pulling up the ad's YouTube link, I realized the song playing in the commercial was still resonating through my head. GENIUS.


3. The classics: Naturally, the Hershey's Kisses Christmas commercial led to an unstoppable succession of classic commercials running through my head.

QUICK! Think of three classic commercials. What three came to mind? My most memorable classic ads are as follows:

So what makes an ad memorable, and what made these three instant contenders in my mind? I think the same three criteria apply.

1) Apply to the brand. 2) Find a way to stick. 3) Play on emotional appeal to make an instant classic.

Although easier said than done, these three things will boost your advertisements as memorable to consumers.

Pandora's ADvantage

I am an avid Pandora listener. What a clever idea to create radio stations segmented to a user's personal tastes based on a genre, artist, or specific song.

Pandora clearly knows what they're doing. Although, a month ago I apparently listened too much, as the website only lets listeners utilize the site for 40 free hours per month (seriously, what's that about??). So I was forced to resort to Yahoo!Music.

I realized how annoying ads are when using online radio stations. Yahoo plays 3-5 ads in a row between songs and you're only allowed to skip songs about 6 times over the course of a few hours. However, Pandora allows listeners to "like" or "dislike" a song in order to better gauge user tastes, and users are also allowed to tell Pandora "I'm tired of this song" and the station puts the song on the shelf for a while. Their interruptings ads are only about 15-30 seconds, and I have a theory Pandora uses an algorithm to segment ads to users based on the type of genre, artist or song chosen.

Pandora's main ADvantage? The rich media sidebar ads are engaging and fun. Whether it's movie trailers or advertisements for social media, websites or products, the interaction is irresistable. And speaking for myself here, I actually want to play them [during work... guilty!]

Check it.