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Two New Communities Coming!

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By On January 31, 2012 In Design, Life Online, Social Marketing With No Comments Permanent Link to Two New Communities Coming!Permalink
I wanted to tell you real quickly about two new communities we’re forming and how you can participate if either of them are right for you.

#SMbyDesign Weekly Twitter Chat

#SMbyDesign is a Twitter chat I have long dreamed of starting. A Twitter friend named Daryl Woods and I had this discussion probably two years ago but I did not make it happen, though it keeps coming up. So today, another friend, Emily Fitzhugh who is a social media consultant and I decided to make it happen! We’re kicking off this Thursday (yes, day after tomorrow) and will do this every Thursday morning at the following times:

PST   7:00 AM
CST   9:00 AM 
EST   10:00 AM
UK    3:00 PM
KUWAIT   6:00 PM
BANGALORE   8:30 PM
HONG KONG   11:00 PM 

I’ve shown a few representatives from different countries here as we tried really hard to make this time work around the globe. #SMbyDesign chats will cover a few different aspects of social media design:
  • the actual design processes and challenges of branding and doing interesting things for clients or your company on social media platforms
  • great examples of social media channel design we see that is inspirational or pushes the envelope and gets us thinking about new ideas for engaging fans
  • interviews with designers, agencies and marketers who have done a phenomenal job of branding social media channels so we can learn from them
  • strategy and tactics for different platforms for those just starting out in social media (though it will help you to be somewhat savvy as many conversations will be of an advanced nature)
A lot of advice can be found online for how to market yourself on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or LinkedIn. But advice on maximizing these channels from a design and branding standpoint is not so readily available. To truly do “social media by design” it takes more than a strategy – execution of the brand being extended visually and emotionally is important and yet not talked about as much. Let’s discuss it together!

Girls/Women Who Love MLS Soccer Community

Also in the process of being formed is a social community for women like Sherry, Heather and I who love their pro soccer team here in the US: MLS  pro soccer. Some great sites like http://kickette.com exist but are largely focused on soccer overseas. We noticed a missing presence of female-oriented blogs and personalities, though they exist scattered around the web and social channels… we want to bring these women together and create a safe and fun place to both learn about the sport (a lot of us don’t know the technical aspects and so some reporting goes over our heads) and to show other women that there are crazy, soccer-addicted females all around them that they can relate to. This is not so much to exclude men, as it is to be able to freely talk about things that interest us that don’t interest and usually annoy the men (player hair and fashion IS a very important topic!) Some phenomenal women around the nation are part of the founding group – you’ll get to know them after we launch. The community is open to any female of any age that loves her MLS team and watching pro soccer.

This site will be launched prior to the season opening games. If you’re interested in being notified when it launches head to our temporary site and submit your email to be notified. We will be so happy to meet you and play with you in our new community when we launch!

I hope you’ll join me in the #SMbyDesign Twitter chat on Thursdays or the soccer community if you’ve been bitten by the MLS bug like I have. If you have any questions about either group, let me know in the comments!

The Future of Twitter is Here Now!

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By On January 25, 2012 In Life Online, Twitter With No Comments Permanent Link to The Future of Twitter is Here Now!Permalink
I had a bittersweet moment tonight, though ultimately it’s a victory and I’m excited to see someone do it. Two years ago, I penned a long diatribe calling for automation on Twitter of an informational (not marketing) nature, and gave several examples of what I’d like to see happen in the future. That article is here if you have an hour (joking, sort of): https://freshid.com/2010/01/information-vs-engagement-are-you-giving-people-what-they-need

Well, I’m pleased to report that airline KLM has launched @KLMFares and done exactly what I described and envisioned, with great results. If you tweet that specific handle + locations, they will return a link with ticket info for the airfare you seek, and the whole experience will take you seconds-t0-under a minute. Aaron Lee has written a great post about it, head over to his blog and read it for details:  http://askaaronlee.com/automate-twitter-account

If you want to work with Fresh ID on your own Tweet-to-respond technology, contact us or tweet us now! I’m dying to experiment as I STILL think this is the wave of the future. Well done KLM!

Client Happenings

By On November 15, 2011 In Fresh ID, Life Online, Restaurants & Hospitality, Retail, Sports With No Comments Permanent Link to Client HappeningsPermalink
As we enjoy this beautiful fall, we thought we would take a moment and share all the great things happening with our clients this season. We are a blessed company to have the opportunity to work with some of the most generous, fun and innovative companies around. They also love their clients as much as we love ours and as you will see below, they know how to take care of their customers, fans, and patrons. We are thankful for their business and appreciate all they do!

Local KC Businesses

Trezo Vino, an Italian Bistro in Leawood, KS recently announced a new lunch special they will offer Monday – Saturday. Get one of their fabulous lunch entrees and a beverage for only $8.50. If you are looking for a great stocking stuffer gift be sure to check out their holiday gift cards. They also offer monthly wine tastings and have special events planned for the holiday season. Located in the Park Place shopping area with the only outdoor skating rink in Johnson County, Trezo Vino is a great place to enjoy a meal, cocktail or simply to take a break during the season. Associated Plastic Surgery, KC’s Cosmetic Surgery Center, is your resource for all the latest procedures, including Slim Lipo. Also known as Lazer Liposuction, this procedure is less invasive then traditional liposuction and still effective at contouring the body. For more information on this and other cosmetic procedures check out their blog. Direct mail has been very effective for Sole Patch. This local Barbershop, located in Prairie Village, has seen an increase in their business since starting their direct mail campaign. We are very excited to see their business grow. Guys, if you haven’t already be sure to check out Sole Patch for a unique experience.

Kansas City Sports

Congratulations to Sporting KC’s CJ Sapong on wining the MLS Rookie of the Year! Sapong was drafted to Sporting as the #10 pick and made his debut in their first game, March 19th.   The rookie forward has had a great year with Sporting KC taking their season all the way to the Eastern Conference Final. Season starts up again March 2012.

The Chiefs are busy on and off the field. Watch your team take on the Bears, in person! Like the Chiefs on Facebook for your chance to win two round-trip tickets to Chicago, two nights hotel stay and two tickets to watch the Chiefs take on “Da Bears” December 4th. Are you the biggest Chiefs fan ever? Prove it! Enter the Ultimate Chiefs Fan Photo Contest for your chance to win a Motorola Xoom Tablet! In the spirit of football, the Chiefs are celebrating local high school football coaches. In both Kansas and Missouri, vote daily to select the coach you feel deserves the title of High School Coach of 2011. Don’t wait, voting ends November 21st!

New to Twitter

Welcome to Twitter! We are very excited that Tippin’s Pie and Summit Marketing have started to “tweet”. Award winning Tippin’s Pies are a Kansas City tradition. Their hand crafted pies can be found at any Hen House location or by ordering online! Follow them on Twitter for pie specials and coupon offers. Summit Marketing uses their M4 Marketing Process for commercial, government and non-profit clients. Follow Summit on Twitter for more information.

Ready to Launch

It’s that time… New websites for AuctionAnything, QuickieChick, PurseBlog and Spa Insight Solutions. AuctionAnything, an online software, uses their expertise to help other organizations. Find them on Facebook for tips and launch date information. Need daily quickies? Check out QuickieChick’s new tumbler and wordpress site. Laurel House shares her expertise on fashion, food, work and workouts and  and life in general. You can also see her new brand proudly displayed on her Twitter and Youtube accounts. PurseBlog is your online resource for designer handbags and will be rolling out their new site within the month. This online magazine provides daily editorials about, you guessed it, designer handbags. Check out their new site for monthly giveaways! Our friends at Spa Insight Solutions also recently launched their new website just in time for the 2011 ISPA conference they attended this month. A company that is dedicated to improving the spa industry through spa consultation and strategy, we appreciate the services Spa Insights provide their clients.          

Breakdown of Facebook’s big Announcements 2011

By On September 21, 2011 In Customer Experience, Facebook, Fresh ID, Human Factors, Life Online, Musings, User Experience With 1 Comment Permanent Link to Breakdown of Facebook’s big Announcements 2011Permalink
SEPTEMBER 2011 UPDATE!! And the updates keep coming! Thank you to Mashable for being quick and responsive to all the changes going on at F8 and with daily changes coming out of Facebook. This article breaks down whats been going on this week (Sept 22) Prepare Yourselves: Facebook To Be Profoundly Changed by Ben Parr  There is another update! Today (September 14th 2012), Facebook Launches their “Subscribe” button. So what does that mean!? On the site, you’re going to start to notice that some users have the button at the top of their profile that says “Subscribe”. If you click it you’ll start seeing that persons/brands updates in your News Feed, just as if you were their Facebook friend. SO WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? Unlike normal Facebook friends, when you subscribe to someone, they do not approve your request so their is no limit on how many people can subscribe to anyone.  It’s a “Twitter-esk” and Google + like update.  Read this article for more great information! “Facebook Launches Twitter-Like ‘Subscriptions’, Let’s You Share with Unlimited Users” via TechCrunch Today (Aug 22nd, 2011), Mashable announces that Facebook will be making massive Privacy and photo tagging changes.  It’s one of the largest privacy overhauls in the companies history! It’s going to help users make it much clearer about who you are sharing pictures, status updates and locations with. Check out the article for more information “Facebook Makes Massive Privacy and Tagging Changes” via Mashable   Facebook made a big announcement yesterday (July 6, 2011), and lots of people are still wondering what it’s all about. So Fresh ID is going to break it down for you! After watching the press conference and browsing the internet for more clues, and reading what others have said, I think I can sufficiently break it down for us “average joes” in the technology world. So, what was the conference all about? First off, be prepared because Zucky said that this is just the start of  “Launching Season 2011″. Secondly,  Mark Zuckerberg did a great job of talking about WHY and WHERE Facebook is going, giving some insight on how social networks are being used today, how they will be used in the future, and how Facebook plans on keeping up. Continue Reading →

Social Media in the News

By On August 26, 2011 In Life Online, Musings, Social Media Club, Twitter With No Comments Permanent Link to Social Media in the NewsPermalink
You can tell that Social Media is now officially mainstream when you read the news. This week’s headlines include a Missouri state judge issuing an injunction against a teachers social networking prohibition law, social media use during natural disasters, and Britain political leaders meeting to brainstorm on how to use social media or limit others from using social media to curb civil unrest.

Missouri Court Injunction

The Missouri story is of particular interest as my husband happens to be a Missouri teacher. With a 15-year old daughter who also happens to attend his school, we were very concerned with this new law (Senate Bill 54, section 162.069) going in to effect. There was a real possibility that he would no longer be able to be “friends” with his own child. Thankfully we have a pretty good kid, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit to keeping a watchful eye on her posts and interactions. Continue Reading →
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