some social media savvy

It's been awhile since my last business-related post, so I decided to dedicate this one to utilizing social media correctly. Let me first say that I love social media the way Elvis loved bacon...a LOT. I am completely obsessed with twitter feeds, blog rolls, and facebook updates, especially for businesses. I cannot tell you how many online webinars or interactive facebook press conferences I have sat through just to capture the next "nugget" of information that might be passing down the tubes. Through both life experience and sitting through endless webinars, I have learned a couple of basic tips that I would like to share with you. Keep in mind that my focus is on businesses; however, this stuff can certainly apply to personal social media.
1. Keep your posts relevant. Although this seems like a total no-brainer, it can be tricky, especially with startup companies who want to imbibe personality into their new business. The temptation to infuse elements of your personal life in with your business can be alluring. Although this can be done well, nearly everyone who tries does it incorrectly.  A good example of incorporating your personal posts into your company would be to post that you are at an after-hours meetup for startups, or you and any employees/partners you may have are doing something together in the spirit of the company.  A poor example would be if you are headed to a bar after work. Not important. Bottom line: keep your business business-worthy.
2. Start a conversation (and keep it going). So often people feel like social media is an excellent platform for posting coupons, new arrivals, etc. for their business. And it is; however, if that is the only thing your business posts, people will soon stop listening. Social media exists (for businesses) as a bridge between consumer and business; not so much as a way for the business to tote their wares, but as a way for consumers to find value in the places they spend their money. Consumers want to feel that they got "value" out of their dollar, and this can be multiplied by utilizing social media. As a restaurant, you can give ideas for no-fuss dinner party appetizers; a clothing store can provide fashion advice, etc.  Plus, when you post advice like this, you invite your user to start a conversation with you. There is not much point in commenting on a coupon. It is what it is.  But a recipe...that has the potential to engage the consumer, as well as anyone else who follows the conversation (which amounts to a lot of people).
Fitness: after taking two weeks off I ran 3.5 miles on Sunday. Monday was 30 ellipical minutes and squats/lunges/abs. Tuesday, 20 minute run, 10 minute bike, arm and ab workout.

yay for wine

One of the best parts about my job is that I get to do a little moonlighting at a higher-end restaurant that just opened up in Vermillion. The same man who owns MASABA also owns RED, and we actually met while he was getting the restaurant up and running (you know how I love startups!).  RED is a chef-inspired steakhouse restaurant with an extensive wine list. I have the good fortune to be able to host the Weekly Wine Hour every week at RED, as well as hosting exclusive tasting events for the Wine Lover's Club members. It is a time consuming job, but a fantastic time, and who wouldn't love tasting your way through a wine list?
Tonight we are going to be looking at a few of my favorite wines that are available at RED, namely St. Francis Chardonnay, Angeline Merlot, KokomoCuvee (we JUST got it in and it is fabulous), and the Chateau St. Michelle Gewurtztraminer (a yummy dessert wine). 

The St. Francis is, hands down, my favorite Chardonnay right now.  It is not too oakey, but very buttery and with a great vanilla finish. I love it so much that I have a case of it in my basement.  It's that good!





The Angeline Merlot is unlike any other Merlot I have tasted. While many merlots can be quite tannic, this one doesn't taste that way at all. It is very drinkable just on its own, but it can also handle itself next to a heavy pasta pairing any day of the week.





The Kokomo Cuvee is a blend of four red varietals, and it is absolutely divine. Talk about an easy-drinking wine. It's dark, but don't let that be off-putting. It's smooth as silk and almost too easy to drink too much of (trust me).

 Finally, the Chateau St. Michelle Gewurtztraminer is the perfect wine for after dinner treats. Sometimes I don't want coffee with my dessert. Sometimes I want wine (usually, actually). This is a perfect accompaniment to any dessert item. It's also good with a spicy Thai dish.








If you happen to be in the area between 6 and 7pm tonight, come to RED and spend some time with my favorite wines! If not...I highly recommend them for consumption in your own home, as well.

opportunity knocked

Well, I'm going to work for "the man".  It's official. I'm the new Project Manager/Marketing Specialist for Masaba Manufacturing.  I couldn't be more thrilled.

The great thing about this is that I actually like "the man" at Masaba.  I like the company philosophy. These guys are amazing, hungry, and eager for ideas and ingenuity.  True entrepreneurs, I feel, and you know how I love entrepreneurs!

I have quite a few projects on my plate to start with, and I'm loving every one of them.  I'm just digging right in.

This week is a busy one for me...but I am feeling fantastic about things!  I hope your week is as fabulous as mine.

and the Mom of the Year Award goes to....

Definitely not me.  I am both ashamed and embarassed to admit this, but I forgot my son at preschool today. I wasn't just five minutes late...I was 25 minutes late, and only remembered after the teacher called and asked if I was going to pick him up.  Wow. Yikes. No good.

Have you ever had so much going on that you cannot possibly take on one more thing? I am most definitely in that boat right now. My workload is insane, my training is getting intense, and my family is always...well, they're my family. They need me.  Up to this point I have been handling it all, but I think preschool is the proverbial straw for me.  I literally cannot possibly handle picking him up.  My brain won't allow me to retain the fact that I have to pick him up in the mornings. It is terrible. So today I am calling the bus, and my little guy can ride the bus with his buddies from his preschool to daycare, and I will be a hero to him.  I will still feel horrible and guilty, but that's part of being a mom.

Half marathon race this weekend. I am not looking forward to it at all. In fact, I am trying to figure out how I can possibly find the time to run in it. I can't even seem to figure out how to pick my packet up.  Grr.  I will get it worked out.

Hopefully next week I will find time to sit down and recap the race.

a small work rant

This morning I decided to see what kind of marketing or advertising jobs are available in the region in which I live. It is a pretty rural area, so this was really a curiosity search. Upon entering the term "marketing jobs sioux falls", what resulted were about a dozen jobs that were labeled as marketing jobs, but were actually sales jobs in disguise.

Come on! I have found this to be the case quite a bit in different regions. Why do people automatically lump marketing and advertising with sales? I can assure you they are quite different. Both are extremely important aspects of a successful company; however, what separates the two is that marketing professionals create marketing plans based on sales goals, and salespeople sell the product/service. Marketers rely on research, trends, analysis to help do their job. Salespeople rely on their exceptional people skills and sales savvy. Advertisers are also different from salespeople. Advertisers help implement the marketing plan. They produce the design and copy, whether it be print, interactive, etc. that transmits the marketing message. Salespeople can capitalize on sales based on advertisements, and also based on the go to market strategy. Each is a cog in a very large wheel; they have to work together to make the wheel turn. They are all vital, but they are not the same.

I implore companies looking for salespeople to advertise those jobs as simply that; sales jobs. That, after all, is what you will want in that position, not an advertising person. Likewise, if you want someone to create copy and design, list the job as an advertising position. Same with marketing.

Are there any other jobs tha you can think of that are often confused?

some slim postings...

Does everything always seem to happen at once for anyone else out there, or is it just me?  Let me give you a quick run-down of the events that have transpired over the last 5 days.
First, my youngest turned 2. That is a wonderful thing, except that he needs to have a birthday party, and since I am such a perfectionist (see blog description) this was a lot of work for me.
Second, we have lost one staff member at work, and with a workforce of 3, losing one means a 33% reduction in labor.
Finally, the combination of work, school, three kids and a husband, and marathon training got the best of me.  Saturday I ran 16 miles. Sunday I cross-trained and weight lifted for 2 hours. Monday I was unable to get out of bed, and my entire body was in an incredible amount of pain.  I felt like my bones were hurting.  I slept for almost 24 hours straight, and am just now getting back to my normal self.  Training for this marathon has been an enormous commitment, both time-wise and energy-wise.  I don't know good it is for my body to come in from a 16 mile run and have to hold my 2 year old all day or chase after my 3 year old.  I'm not sure how to combat this because my kids will need their Mommy.  I have come too far in my training to turn back now.  I have decided to take the next few days off (which is horribly difficult when you are used to running so many miles in a week) and get back into training on Saturday.  That way my body can have a chance to rest and recover, and I can start feeling fresh.  I will also make myself eat more.  I eat all day as it is, but more...somehow.