Waiting For a Table

The one good thing about Taylor Swift is...

2013-05-20T15:17:00.001-04:00

... her distaste for Justin Bieber.

The Evolution of My Justin Timberlake Obsession

2013-03-29T20:00:00.000-04:00

If I had kept a diary documenting my obsession with Justin Timberlake, it may have gone something like this:

1998 - Age 10

Who are these *NSYNC guys? What a stupid name for a band. Are they trying to be like the Backstreet Boys? I'm not sure I have room in my life for TWO boy bands.

Wait... they can dance?! Okay, I'm sold.

1999 - Age 11

Hey, that Justin kid is kinda cute. I can't decide if I like him or that Lance guy better.

Oh, wow... he has the voice of an angel.

2000 - Age 12

HOLY. CRAP. This No Strings Attached album is pretty bitchin. Justin has a solo in EVERY song. Did you see the video for Bye Bye Bye?! It's been #1 on TRL for like 100 straight weeks. My friends and I made a KILLER dance to that song, mostly because we memorized the entire video and copied all their dance moves.

ZOMG I also got this really cool thing from McDonalds called a "Hit Clip" - now I can listen to 5 seconds of It's Gonna Be Me whenever I want!! To hear Justin's voice at the push of a button is seriously like a dream come true.

Mrs. Timberlake - has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?! OMG we're totally getting married one day. Besides being totally cute and talented, Justin is like SO funny! I just want him and Britney so break up soon so we can start dating. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Britney and her music is AMAZING, but Justin belongs to me. I mean, he already takes up 90% of my bedroom wall.

I Googled Justin the other day and found all these clips from when he was on the Mickey Mouse Club with Britney, Christina, JC, and Ryan Gosling. OMG SO CUTE!! I could just eat him up. So hilarious that Jessica Simpson got REJECTED. That's cuz she pretty much sucks.

Also... I'M GOING TO SEE JUSTIN IN CONCERT AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN!! HBO is filming the whole thing. I'm so so so so excited!

2001 - Age 13

I just got *NSYNC's Celebrity album... I'm super excited because the guys wrote most of the songs themselves! The lyrics are actually kinda strange but it's really awesome for a first attempt at songwriting! YAY mediocrity! I especially like it cuz for the song Gone, Justin is singing the entire time. That's officially my new anthem, even though it's kinda slow and depressing.

NSYNC-Gone by netgear24

Also... I'M GOING TO SEE JUSTIN IN CONCERT AGAIN! Spent like 80 bucks on a ticket but totally worth it.

2002 - Age 14

OMG Justin and Britney broke up! I'm actually really sad about it. As much as I wanted him for myself, I really just wanted him to be happy. He must be so heartbroken right now. I wish I could be there to comfort him. ;)

To top it all off... *NSYNC is taking a hiatus! I'm so sad, I really can't imagine life without them! On a somewhat brighter note, Justin released a solo album. His songs aren't so bad. Rock Your Body has a good beat. Also, I just learned that Cry Me a River is probably about Britney... scandalous! That dumb ho. I'm happy he's exploring a solo career, but I'm pretty confident *NSYNC will reunite again sometime in the near future. I can't wait for that day to come.

Justin Timberlake - Cry me a river from lukaslops on Vimeo.

2003 - Age 15

Justin just hosted Saturday Night Live! I'm so glad people are finally starting to realize how amazing he is.

2006 - Age 18

Justin's in Alpha Dog. Sooo I guess he's acting now? It's a little weird. Now that it's been 3 years, I'm starting to doubt that *NSYNC will ever get back together. In fact, I don't even like him all that much anymore. Things are just not the same.

Although, he DID bring sexy back. Not sure where it went exactly, but I'll give him credit for that.

2010 - Age 22

3 times hosting Saturday Night Live, a kickass job in The Social Network... okay, old feelings are rushing back. But this time, I like him in a totally normal, healthy way...

2012 - Age 24

Justin Timberlake just married ~~that bitch~~ Jessica Biel. It's a Ben & Jerry's kinda night.

2013/Present Day - Age 24

Suit & Tie is pretty good. I REALLY like Mirrors. But again, in a totally normal, healthy way. I tried to get concert tickets in my price range when they went on sale, but didn't have much luck.

Instead, I fought with Ticketmaster, kept trying for weeks, went on at least 10 different ticket-selling websites, and ended up spending $115 on a ticket in the nosebleed section. This is a totally normal, healthy response. The more I say it, the more people think it's true.

In Conclusion

Why New Girl's Nick Miller Has Ruined All Other Men

2013-02-02T18:35:00.000-05:00

This.

30 Mildly Rebellious Things To Do Before You Turn 30

2012-11-27T21:00:00.000-05:00

When I turned 24 back in September, I had a startling realization: I'm in my mid-20s. I'm on "real job" #2 and I live on my own. I pay rent. I buy my own groceries. I'm kind of like a real person with real responsibilities. The days of hooking up with strangers and drinking until we vomit are slipping farther and farther away every day... and if you're a "nice girl" like me (well, at least on the surface), you didn't take full advantage of your "glory days." Problem is, when you're a real person, there are real consequences to full-on rebellion.

With the help of my Facebook friends (thanks, guys!), I've come up with a list of mildly rebellious things you should do before you turn 30: Things you can do that are kinda badass, but not badass enough to make a real difference in your life. (NOTE: I was going to make it a list of mildly rebellious things you should do before you turn 25, since that's my magic age, but then I realized that that only gives me 1 year to complete everything on the list).

1) Say no to your boss

If your boss wants to give you another task and you already have 443957 things on your plate, say no. Some bosses will understand. Others will fire you. But whatever, it's not like you're 30 yet.

2) Tell racist jokes

3) Prank your ex

4) Play with your food

Drew Barrymore did it, you can too.

5) Jump on the bed

Your mom always told you not to do it, but she's not here.

6) Kiss and tell

You're a slut and it's okay. Tell EVERYONE. Especially if he's a musician or has an accent.

7) Ding Dong Ditch

8) Sneak into a movie

Buy a ticket to 1 movie, and sneak into 2 others while you're there.

9) Dye your hair an unusual color

10) Run up the "down" escalator

You rebel, you. You know you're not supposed to do that, but you do it anyway. Bonus points if you trample someone on your way up.

11) Go skinny dipping

12) Get a small tattoo in an easily hidden area

Behind your neck, the inside of your wrist, behind your ear, on your ankle: all fair game... but the tattoo can't be any bigger than a quarter.

13) Play Hookey

Skip work, just because you feel like. Have a day off better than Ferris Bueller's. The best part is that you don't have to worry about turning the speedometer back.

14) Dance on a bar

15) Be in the center of the mosh pit

Warning: You MIGHT have to trade in your Justin Bieber tickets for something a little more hardcore. I'm sorry for hating on the Biebs, but it had to be done.

16) Strip, or at least remove one important item of clothing

17) Dine and ditch... or at least conveniently "forget" to leave a tip

The waitress was rude and tips are supposed to be optional... and your favorite boots just happen to be on sale.

18) Jump the subway turnstiles

We all know how much I hate the subway and everyone who rides it...

19) Press all the buttons in the elevator

Just make sure you're getting off at the first stop.

20) Litter

21) Pee in a pool

This is kind of gross. If you haven't already done this, you should do it, but maybe don't tell anyone about it.

22) Lie about your age

23) Swim in the ocean without a lifeguard present

The sign says "swim at your own risk." Look at you, taking risks!

24) Steal a road cone/sign

25) Give someone the middle finger

26) Stay on the treadmill for a full hour

The sign at the gym says that there is a 30 min. maximum for the treadmill. There are 3 people waiting. One of them asks you how long you've been on. What do you do? Lie your ass off.

27) Go to a restaurant and fill your bag with bread, butter, mints, and Sweet'N Low

They offer these things for free. They're basically asking you to take as much as you can.

28) Trespass

29) Curse someone out

You'll feel so empowered after this. Add a little shove or a bitch slap and you're golden.

30) Break the speed limit

Go 65 in a 55. It's okay, I won't tell.

What would you add to your list?

3 Ways to Create Great Branded Content

2012-11-08T18:47:00.000-05:00

Originally posted on Likeable

Today in social media, content is key. With the number of brands on social media sites growing every day, it is becoming increasingly important for brands to capture the consumers’ attention and find ways to stand out among the vast amount of other content on the news feed. Here, we’ll take a look at 3 brands that are killing it when it comes to branded content.

Get creative with product placement

In honor of Oreo’s 100th Anniversary, Oreo introduced the Daily Twist campaign, a play on the “twist, lick, and dunk” routine performed by many Oreo-eaters. During the campaign, Oreo posted a new image on its Facebook page each day that featured the product in a light-hearted, fun, and eye-catching way. The images were not salesy or overly-promotional, but still tied back to the brand in a clever and engaging way. Fans were eager to check back on the page to see what the next “Daily Twist” would be. Oreo is a great example of product placement done RIGHT.

Develop a brand voice

When talking with consumers on social media, it is essential for brands to ensure that they have a consistent brand voice and tone. Consumers are more likely to engage with a brand if they have a clear understanding of who they’re talking to. While some brands have developed their voice by establishing guidelines, appropriate language, and topics that are relatable to their audience, some go as far as developing an entire online personality. Orangina developed Bulby, the brand’s mascot and official host of the Orangina International Facebook and Twitter pages. Through its content, Orangina uses Bulby to tell stories and develop a relatable brand personality. The content involves Bulby going on all sorts of different adventures and partaking in a variety of different activities. This concept provides the consumer with a relatable character with which to interact, as opposed to fan interacting with a nameless brand representative. Organina even encourages fans to create their own adventures for Bulby!

Feature your fans

Burt’s Bees recently ran the “Raise Your Burt’s” promotion where fans had the opportunity to submit photos for a chance to be featured in a lip balm campaign. The finalists were featured in Burt’s Bees Facebook content and in the images that were posted, the finalists’ names was added to the “Burt’s Bees” product image. This was an interesting way to promote a contest while acknowledging the brand’s biggest fans. In order for fans to become recurring customers, they must feel valued by the brand. This was a great way for Burt’s Bees to acknowledge some of their biggest ambassadors.

What are some of your tips for creating branded content?

That One Time I Kinda Sorta "Ran" a 5K. Or At Least Completed One.

2012-09-15T23:04:00.000-04:00

I'm no runner. In fact, I've spent the majority of my life avoiding any sort of physical activity. No joke - when I was 3 I used to go to my friend's karate and basketball parties and sit on the side. Yeah, I was THAT little girl. Close those judging eyes. Alas, here I am 20 years later, running a 5K.

... Okay. "Running" might be an overstatement. But I definitely COMPLETED a 5K and this is the story of how it happened. If you're turning to this post for inspiration to get your ass off the couch and start working out again, you might as well stop reading right now. I haven't been to the gym in about a month and I'm writing this post from my couch while eating Ben & Jerry's and watching Harry Potter. You might say that's gross... I say it's awesome. I'll kick your ass in Quidditch one day, you just wait and see.

So my friend Amanda sent me a link to the Color Run website and despite the fact that I actually hate running, I watched the video on the site... and I was completely inspired. You might say I was feeling bad about myself and watching all these happy people complete the 5K made ME want to accomplish something. You MIGHT say that, but I know the real reason is because I saw colored paint flying everywhere and I immediately thought of that awesome "paintball" scene from 10 Things I Hate About You. Although I had a hunch that Heath Ledger wouldn't come back from the beyond and make out with me on top of a pile of hay, a girl can dream.

So I read on the site that you don't HAVE to run the 5K... plenty of people walk it. So, since it would be a relatively judgement-free zone, I decided that I wanted to sign up with a bunch of my college friends so we can throw stuff at each other and mock the people who take it seriously. Well... joke was on me. I signed up at work with a few coworkers and told my college friends to join the team. Problem: The Color Run sold out in about 2 hours and my college friends didn't make the cut. I was now signed up to run the 5K with my super fitness-savvy (at least by comparison) coworkers. Awesome.

So, I started training. I did one of those "Couch to 5K" programs that seem to be all the rage right now. The beginning of the program was easy and I was feeling good. So good, that I decided to skip forward a few weeks. I then started to feel the burn, but I kind of just assumed that meant it was working. Then.... BAM. Tendonitis of the knee. No running for 2 1/2 weeks. Cool. After the 2 1/2 weeks, I just couldn't get back into the swing of things. I lost momentum and ran out of time. Womp womp. The good news is that my friends Barbara and Blaine were able to join the team at the last minute, so I had some people I could "half-run" with.

The night before the run, I slept at my coworker Shari's house, since she lived close to where we'd have to be the next day. We decided to decorate "Team Everest" t-shirts. It felt like Color War at sleepaway camp so I was all about it.

We woke up super early the next morning to get to the run. In the end, Team Everest ended up splitting up: some ran the whole way and others alternated running and walking. I ran a good chunk of it, but definitely not the entire thing. The great thing about The Color Run is that it's really low-key and low-pressure, so lots of people who participate decide to walk the entire thing (making me look a LITTLE less lazy).

Team Everest

We think we're cute and stuff

First round of color

Colors are likeable and so are we. Mostly because we work at Likable Media.

We were already dirty, so we figured we may as well lay on the floor. It's worth it for a really great Instagram shot.

That's really it! No moral of the story: It was just fun to do something a little different. And throw paint on people. And brag on Instagram. Maybe I'll even run the whole thing next year.

*Photos contributed by myself, Cara Friedman, and Frank Emanuele. I decided they were better photographers than I am. Womp womp.

4 Reasons Why Social Media Will Make Me a TV Junkie This Fall

2012-09-11T21:35:00.000-04:00

Originally posted on Likeable

It’s official. I’m going to be glued to my couch this fall.

Since I work in social media, it’s no surprise that my eyes hardly ever leave my computer screen: I am flooded with hundreds of posts, tweets, pins, etc. day in and day out. With the amount of time I spend on social media sites, there’s no way I could miss all the buzz around the Fall 2012 television lineup. It wasn’t until recently I discovered how smart some of these shows’ marketing tactics are. You see, the marketing folks over at major television networks noticed 4 qualities about me, the social media nerd, that they could tap into. Let’s see exactly how they did that:

1) I’m incredibly nosey. If I’m being completely honest with myself, the main reason I use Facebook and Twitter is because I want to spy on people I know: my friends, my family members, my college classmates, that girl that was mean to me in high school, that guy I haven’t seen since 5th grade, my old boss, etc. Like any true social media nerd, I am an information sponge and have a need to learn much as I can as fast as I can.

This is why I’m a sucker for spoilers and exclusive content. To promote the new season, the people behind the New Girl series created the Douchebag Jar (this is a reference from the show, in case you were wondering). The Douchebag Jar provided fans with exclusive content if they “filled up the jar” with Facebook shares. This exclusive content consists of videos from the cast, photos, and more. This type of content is the perfect bait for social media nerds such as myself.

Also, if Ryan Murphy tweets out one more ambiguous spoiler for Season 4 ofGlee I might die of anticipation.

2) I want to be special. The beauty of social media is that it gives a voice to even the quietest people. Through various methods of engagement, it also provides the user with validation that their voice is being heard. Everyone wants to be recognized and feel like their opinion matters.

Last night’s Bachelor Pad finale made me realize that reality TV does this very well. While the show was airing, the Bachelor Pad cast was following the hashtag #BachelorPad and tweeting their reactions. When the big surprise ending occurred, the cast members were there to answer fan questions, complaints, and opinions. It made all of us tweeting along feel like we were a part of the conversation and that our opinions were being heard by the people who matter (come on, even D-list celebs matter a little bit… right?).

3) I want to be influential. Not only do I want my voice heard, but I want to feel like I’m making an impact. I want to know that other people are not only listening to my thoughts, but also taking action upon them. I want to make a difference.

America’s Next Top Model does a great job of showing how your social media voice can go a long way. This cycle, ANTM is determining the model that gets eliminated each week based on a numeric grading system: each of the judges give a score from 1-10 and this score is combined with a “social media score.” All of the photos from this cycle were put up online and fans were asked to “like” their favorite photos and leave comments or submit videos with their feedback and score. During the show, a select few videos and comments are shared on television. Not only are fans able to impact who gets eliminated each week, but they’re also given the opportunity to be featured on a national television show.

Fans also had an impact on the upcoming season of Dancing With The Stars. Since this is an All-Star season, ABC is bringing back a few of the show’s former contestants to once again compete for the mirrorball trophy. ABC selected 12 contestants, but let the fans decide on contestant #13.

4) I have major FOMO. I use social media as a communication tool. I use it to keep in touch with friends and to tell them what I’m doing, where I’m going, what I’m thinking, and, most relevant to this blog post, what I’m watching. If I see that 10 of my friends “like” How I Met Your Mother on Facebook, it’s likely that I will “like” it too. If I see 3 of my friends tweeting at each other about the latest episode of True Blood, chances are I’m going to want to get in on that conversation. People are highly influenced by what their friends recommend, which is why social media is the perfect tool for television networks looking to promote their shows.

What show are you most looking forward to watching this fall?

5 Qualities of a Great Social Media Manager

2012-07-27T02:37:00.001-04:00

Originally posted on Likeable

If you stay up to date on the latest trends in social media, I’m sure you’ve read Cathryn Sloane‘s article on NextGen, Why Every Social Media Manager Should be Under 25. Cathryn argues that since “under 25ers” were teenagers when social media exploded (aka when Facebook started), they have a superior understanding of social and are therefore, most qualified for social media positions. Needless to say, this strong opinion was not so well received by many social media professionals. Whether you agree or disagree, I’m here to argue that the age of your social media manager is insignificant: Your social media manager needs to be not only the voice of your brand, but someone who accurately represents your brand’s core values and has an understanding of the company’s overarching strategy. When hiring your social media manager (or any type of social media position), here are a few things you should look for (besides age):

1) Knowledge of major social platforms: Although there are definitely a few points Cathryn made that can be disputed, she did touch on one very important point: your social media manager needs to understand the major social platforms (or, at the very least, have the ability to learn the platforms quickly). Part of understanding social is understanding the platforms and how they can be most effectively used to benefit your brand.

2) An understanding of how people work: Social media is not a broadcasting tool: It’s a way for brands to tap into people’s natural socializing processes. In order to do this, your social media manager must understand your consumers’ typical behavior patterns, including how they communicate with one another and interact with brands they support.

3) An understanding of how business works: Understanding social media is great, but it means nothing if these efforts aren’t providing any value to your business. What are you paying your social media manager for? What results can you show? Your social strategy should tie into the brand’s overarching business strategy. It is essential for your social media manager to understand your company’s challenges and goals so that he/she can build your social strategy around that.

4) The capacity and eagerness to learn: Social media is an industry that is constantly changing. Regardless of the amount of experience your social media manager has, the willingness to learn is one trait that cannot be overlooked. This person must be willing to stay on top of changes on current social platforms in addition to staying up to date on emerging platforms that will be a good fit for your brand. Your social media manager must also be able to determine if your current social strategy is benefiting your business and identify challenges on a regular basis.

5) Adaptability: Since social media changes every day, your social media manager must not only stay up to date on all of the changes, but also be willing and able to alter your social strategy accordingly. Making sudden changes to a plan is never easy but in this industry, it is essential. It is important for your social media manager to be driven by the success of your brand, which often means re-evaluating tactics when new opportunities emerge.

What do you look for in a social media manager?

How Old is Your Social Media Manager? My Response to @CathrynSloane25

2012-07-22T23:30:00.000-04:00

My coworker showed me this really interesting article today and it struck a couple of chords with me. Author Cathryn Sloane is a recent graduate of the University of Iowa and in her article, she makes the claim that every social media manager should be under the age of 25. She states that people from this young generation “were teenagers in high school at the time, a period when [they] were young enough to be the most impressionable yet old enough to grasp an understanding.” She makes the argument that because social media had been introduced to “under-25ers” at such a young age, they are naturally social and therefore, the best candidates for social media positions. Needless to say, this sweeping statement caused quite the reaction. Bold statement + angry social media professionals = disaster.

As a 23 year old working in the social media industry, I hear ya, girl. I’ve always had a strong passion for social media because I’ve always felt like it was something I understood. I was using Facebook before it was cool: before the “like” button, brand pages, and sponsored stories. In fact, during my freshman year of college, my friends made fun of me for being “that girl” who used to start conversations with strangers by saying, “Oh yeah, I know who you are. I think we talked on Facebook that one time.” Naturally, as soon as I saw an opportunity to intern at a social media agency, I jumped at the chance.

However, to say that I was hired because of my youth and “superior” understanding of social media would be a bit naive. Did growing up in a social generation help me explore my passion for the industry? Definitely. Is that what makes me good at my job? No.

What a lot of people don’t understand is that social media is about more than understanding how the platforms work: It’s about understanding how people work. How do people interact with one another? Why do people use social media? How does the relationship between two individuals on Facebook differ from the relationship between brands and their consumers? What demographic is most active on social media and what are the typical behavior patterns? Although social media has been a huge part of my life for quite some time, knowledge of the platforms alone would not provide me with this information.

The other key element that Cathryn overlooked is the importance of understanding how businesses run and keeping in mind that everything one does for a brand must tie into the company’s overarching business strategy. I could understand Twitter like the back of my hand: I could tweet 20 times a day, use trending topics, search key terms and @mention users... but where’s the value in that? What is the company looking to get out this? How is this driving sales? What am I providing for my clients that a college student couldn’t provide (and for less money, I should add)?

Although the concept of “social media” is relatively new, marketing is not. People who have worked in the marketing industry not only have a clear understanding of how business works, but they’ve also had experiences that have helped them understand consumers and their relationships with these companies. This is something that an understanding of social media for personal use cannot necessarily teach you.

I have been fortunate enough to be an “under-25er” working at a social media marketing agency for over 2 years. However, I do not attribute my successes to the fact that I grew up in a social generation (although it definitely didn’t hurt). I believe that I’ve been successful because of my capacity and eagerness to learn as much as I can. I’ve never hesitated to schedule brainstorming sessions with my “over 25-year old” coworkers because although I’ve always been confident that I’m intrinsically social, I know that they have a lot to teach me when it comes to business, marketing, and strategy. I have many great qualities and skills necessary to manage social communities, but I owe SO much of my success to my more experienced coworkers who have helped and guided me each step of the way. A thorough understanding of the platforms is important, but an eagerness to learn and never stop learning is essential. A 20 year old with a thorough understanding of social media and the capacity and willingness to learn about business and marketing has the potential to be a great Social Media Manager. However, a 40 year old who has experience in business and marketing and the capacity and willingness to learn the ins and outs of social platforms is just as, if not more qualified for the job. Pair the business and marketing experience with a thorough understanding of the platforms (believe it or not, many "over-25ers" HAVE in fact been using social media since its start), and you've got one super qualified candidate.

For those of you yelling at poor Cathryn and harassing her online: you really need to stop. It’s one thing to disagree (in fact, I enjoy a healthy debate once in a while), but to insult and ridicule a young journalist at the brink of her career is just unnecessary, not to mention immature. For those of you leaving comments referencing “the arrogance of youth” while simultaneously calling Cathryn an “ageist,” you are being extremely hypocritical. As a 23 year old, I know I have a lot of learn. That being said, I’ve worked extremely hard and I’m so proud of what I’ve accomplished in my life and career so far. Making such harsh (and false) generalizations about our generation is demeaning and I cannot accept anyone belittling my accomplishments. 20 or 50, I respect anyone who has a passion for what they do, a killer work ethic, and the drive to succeed.

5 Reasons You Ought to Be More Thankful

2012-07-07T00:09:00.000-04:00

Originally posted on Likeable

On Sunday night at 10pm ET, #LikeableChat celebrated its first birthday (YAY BIRTHDAYS!!) with the topic of gratitude. We’ve heard a million social media peeps say things like “don’t forget to respond to your followers,” “thank your consumers for being your fans,” and “a little surprise and delight goes a long way.” It’s one thing to hear your colleagues say it, but hearing it from your community is entirely different. Well, I listened closely to the #LikeableChat community and noticed a few themes I’d like to share with you. Behold, the importance of gratitude:

1. Gratitude boosts customer retention.

@BTMurr: I think brands need to recognize the importance of nurturing existing relationships, not just fostering new. #LikeableChat

@MichaelCarusi: A2 The relationship doesn’t end after the first sale. Customer who feel valued become repeat customers. #LikeableChat

@LikeableCC: All it takes is a small gesture. Brands can really make their customers feel special and ensure repeat customers. #LikeableChat

Brands are often so focused on getting more Facebook “likes” and Twitter followers that they lose sight of their existing relationships. Come on, quality over quantity, people! A valuable community is defined by the strength of the brand-consumer relationship, not by a specific number of followers. The stronger your relationship with your current community members, the more repeat customers you’re going to get (which means more $$ for your company!).

2. Gratitude facilitates brand ambassadors and loyalists.

@LovelyLu: A2 A brand that expresses #gratitude surely increases loyalty! #Likeablechat

@jonjsilves7789: A2: Fans receiving gratitude from brands is an amazing feeling. It will make them spread the word and keep them coming back. #LikeableChat

It’s so simple: make your consumers feel special and they’ll have a great story that they’ll want to tell all of their friends about. Showing your consumers you care with a simple “thank you” increases the likelihood that your consumers will show you how much they care by recommending your product or service to their family and friends. With a small gesture, you’re increasing the likelihood that you develop loyal customers who openly spread the word about your company (and hey, free advertising!).

3. Gratitude helps you make friends and keeps the enemies to a minimum.

@bberg1010: A2. Necessary. When it’s so easy to acknowledge your advocates, to not do so is like saying you don’t really care #LikeableChat

@TaylorWAlderson: A2: Very important! It’s a sign of active listening and let’s the community know they care. #likeablechat

@karintracy: A brand that doesn’t express gratitude won’t have fans for long. #likeablechat

@West_Syed: @ottogrl If not valued and appreciated, people will not hesitate to go somewhere where they are #likeablechat

Saying “thank you” is SO easy, a baby could do it (I just decided that my general rule of thumb is if a baby can do it, a brand can too. Let’s roll with it). It doesn’t take a lot of time or effort, but it lets your customers know that you value them. However, the most important takeaway here is to pay attention to the message that your brand is sending if it doesn’t express a little gratitude. Your brand is now sending the message that it doesn’t care and that its community members are only worth the amount of cash they have in their pocket. A few minutes out of your day to say “thanks” makes all the difference.

4. Gratitude (if executed properly) humanizes your brand.

@SteveRhinehart: A2: Not to mention it shows humility – a distinctly human trait we can all appreciate and connect with. #likeablechat

@ottogrl: A2: It’s crucial for brands to thank their community- be human, humble, passionate, and vulnerable #LikeableChat

@erinmharris: A2: Think about HOW you’re thanking your fans, too. Not just a “thanks for the RT!” – that’s lame. Prove your gratitude.#LikeableChat

@colormelauren: A2 Gratitude should be expressed organically. Engaging in conversations, fostering relationships. Not just “Thanks for the RT” #likeablechat

We say this all the time: people do not want to talk to robots. People want to talk to real, living human beings. Unfortunately, a basic “Thanks for the RT!” or a generic message that has been copied and pasted a million times won’t cut it (although let’s face it, we’re all guilty of doing this once in a while). Provide your community with the details: WHY are you thankful for them? WHAT have they done? HOW did they do it? Personalizing your “thank yous” gives your brand a human voice that is easily relatable. Relatable content drives increased engagement and strong, long-lasting relationships. BAM.

5. Umm… you owe your customers big time.

@FrankRamblings: Brands owe their communities a lot. Without a customer base, what is a brand? #likeablechat

Your company would not exist without your customers. Regardless of the ROI of gratitude, you owe it to your customers to take a little time out of your day to express your appreciation. Seriously, don’t be a snob.

While we’re talking about gratitude, I’d like to give a huge shout out and THANK YOU to the #LikeableChat community. Your answers inspired me to write this post and I’ve learned so much from all of you!

Do you feel it is important for companies to express gratitude? Why/Why not?

For more tips on how to improve your social media presence, download our free Beginner’s Guide to Community Management here.

Introducing... the BETTER Bieber!

2012-05-31T09:00:00.000-04:00

Sooooo I think I've been living under a rock. I'm so ashamed that I wasn't aware of this sooner.

While stalking the contestants of The Glee Project Season 2 (debuting on June 5th at 10pm EST! Super excited!), I came across Dani Shay. I knew that she had been on America's Got Talent and already had a pretty significant fan base. Naturally, I automatically dismissed her as one of my potential favorites. I'm all about the underdogs and she just isn't it. To top it all off... she looks like Bieber. I really don't like the Biebs.

But after doing my research, I realized that Dani is like Bieber, but she's what Bieber SHOULD be. The BETTER Bieber, if you will. The look, the music -- Dani had it all first. Imagine what she must've felt like when she first heard about the Biebs.

Having trouble imagining it? She'll paint a picture for you...

Now this is a "Bieber" I can support.

As for the rest of The Glee Project 2 contenders: I'd be lying if I said I didn't already have favorites, as well as a list of people I can't stand (one in particular), but I know better than to judge a book by its cover and I'm trying to keep an open mind. Ask me again after June 5th. :)

Bieber vs. Dani -- Who would you choose?

What Grinds My Gears: Time Warner Cable (NYC)

2012-05-20T22:56:00.001-04:00

Thank you, Time Warner. You've once again proven how completely inefficient you are.

I have Time Warner because I have no choice: my apartment building isn't wired for any other cable provider. Having to deal with Time Warner for the past (almost) 2 years has been a HUGE inconvenience, to say the least.

We've called multiple times about our internet going out. We tried to switch the name on our account back in September and we were finally able to do it... about 7 phone calls later. When we finally figured out how to do it, Time Warner told us that rather than just switching the name on the account, they had to come to our apartment, take our cable boxes, and replace them with new ones. When they were done installing the boxes, they left the old cable boxes in our apartment. According to their "process," a different Time Warner Cable representative was supposed to take them. Okay, cool. Meanwhile, the cost of the boxes were put on our bill until we walked them back to the service center ourselves. On top of that, we don't always get our bills. And when we do, they're usually inaccurate.

Tonight was the icing on the cake. About two months ago, I tried to watch TV in my room, but the audio kept cutting in and out. After a few days of this, I decided to reboot my cable box. For days after I did that, I would wake up each morning to see the cable box rebooting itself. When I tried turning it on, I realized it had stopped working altogether. I tried to call Time Warner to fix this, but I kept being put on hold. Honestly, I don't have time to sit on hold, so after a while, I gave up.

Well, I finally got through. The customer service representative (I'll leave his name out of here, since I know it's not his fault) tried to reboot my cable box, but it still didn't work. I scheduled an appointment with a technician for Wednesday. I wasn't so happy about having to leave work early, but I didn't really have a choice, so I let it go.

He then proceeded to try and sell me a landline service. If Time Warner kept a proper record of our account, they would see that we had initially signed up for the Triple Play package with landline service, but ended up deciding against it. When he asked if he successfully resolved my issue, I asked to be credited back the last two months, since I was paying for a service I wasn't receiving. He told me that since my calls didn't go through two months ago, I would only be credited back from the time my call went through (today) until the technician comes (Wednesday).

I asked what would happen if I were going on vacation for a month starting tomorrow: would I be credited back the month I was gone, since my call went through and the technician couldn't come while I was away? The answer: "No, we would tell you you couldn't do that." I made sure to mention that we've had terrible service for the last 2 years and I told him to take a look at how many times we've called. He says we've only called twice since September. Do you think I'd be writing this blog post if we've only called twice in the last 9 months? And what about the year before that? If their system says we've only called twice, then their system is seriously flawed.

To top it all off, the service center is 4 blocks away. Why there are so many issues is beyond my comprehension.

If you have a choice, go for FiOs. Dealing with Time Warner is just not worth the headache.

The 6 Most Annoying Things You Do With Social Media

2012-05-14T22:23:00.000-04:00

Originally posted on Likeable

Let me start off by saying that I love social media: always have, always will. I believe that it’s a powerful marketing tool and an important relationship builder. That being said, there are appropriate ways to use it, inappropriate ways to use it, and tactics that are just plain irritating to those of us following your brand. Let’s take a look at some of our biggest social media faux pas:

1) Linking Your Twitter and Facebook: If you’re engaging on Twitter as often as you should, it’s safe to say that you’re shooting out at least a handful of tweets per day. If your Twitter is linked to Facebook, you’re also shooting out of a handful of status updates. If your fans keep seeing your updates appear in their Facebook news feed, they’re likely going to unlike your page. Unlink your Twitter and Facebook and keep your status updates to a minimum (no more than 2 per day).

Linking your Facebook posts to Twitter isn’t any better. First of all, status updates often go over Twitter’s 140 character limit, meaning your tweets are cut off and you’re tweeting incomplete sentences. In addition, the word “like” means nothing on Twitter, so encouraging your Twitter followers to “like” something doesn’t make sense. When your Twitter followers notice these errors, it just makes it seem like you’re too lazy to think about the most appropriate way to engage with them on each network.

2) Auto DMs: I followed you because I want to hear what you have to say, not what you want to sell me. Auto DMs are extremely impersonal. The worst is when I’m not able to DM you back because you’re not following me: it makes it seems like you’re more interested in talking at me than you are talking tome.

3) Misleading Headlines

Amy Kattan

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@AmyKattan

How Social Media folks survive Mondays bit.ly/JbE5Ly #sm

7 May 12

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Okay, so this one was particularly funny for me*, but under normal circumstances, this can be extremely irritating. Many of us use social media to get the information most relevant to us in the fastest way possible. If you’re tweeting headlines that don’t closely match what the video/article/picture is about, your followers are going to feel deceived and think that you are an unreliable source of information.

4) Reeeeeallllllly loooooonnnnnnng Facebook posts: In case you weren’t already aware, Facebook users aren’t particularly interested in reading much text. Most hop on Facebook to get a quick overview of what their friends are doing: you should be happy they’re even looking at your brand’s posts. If a post is more than 2-3 sentences, I probably won’t read it and definitely won’t engage with it.

5) #TeamFollowBack: Not going to lie, I was guilty of using this during our staff Twitter competition (I’m not proud of it). If you’re on Twitter enough, you’ve undoubtedly seen this hashtag thrown around a few times. Using #teamfollowback in your tweets may help you get followers, but the spike in followers is short-lived and invaluable. Are you getting the right kind of followers? Probably not. How are these followers going to help your business? They probably won’t.

6) Long, useless YouTube videos:

I love videos as much as the next girl, but adding videos to your content doesn’t automatically make it engaging. Try to keep your video content relevant to your audience and as short as possible (no longer than 2 minutes, tops). Long, repetitive videos can often be irritating (umm… see above) and less engaging to an audience.

What are some of your social media pet peeves?

* HAHAHA you just got Rick Roll’d.

The 6 Most Adorable Little Kids on YouTube

2012-04-08T10:00:00.001-04:00

So a few weeks ago, I posted a video of this adorable little girl singing Adele. Let's face it: little people make me happy. Here are some videos that keep me smiling, even on my worst days:

1) How this happened, I'll never understand. But it's funny nonetheless. I really admire how calm, cool, and collected she remains, despite being stuck in a trash can.

2) This kid's enthusiasm is fantastic. I'd be scared if I were the little girl standing next to him. Plus, he's a ginger. Soooo... that's funny.

3) Remember when little things made you SO happy?

4) What a fabulous performance. My favorite part is when she says "I love you, New York" at the end.

5) A 5 year-old who has her priorities straight!

6) Almost as good as Beyonce!

Who do you think are the cutest kids on YouTube?

5 Reasons I'm Not Reading Your Company Blog

2012-04-07T23:08:00.000-04:00

Originally posted on Likeable

In the social media industry, we’re always talking about the importance of engaging with influencers. Engaging with bloggers that have large audiences and high Klout scores increases your chances of generating buzz around your brand. As a brand, you want to be recognized as a thought leader in your industry and a resource for your consumers. You’ve set up a blog to become an influencer in the space, but no one is reading the content you’re creating. Why? Let’s take a look:

1) You woke up one morning and decided to start a blog, but you didn’t really set a long term plan. You’ve set up you blog, but you haven’t really given thought to what it will look like, the kind of content you’re going to create, who’s going to create it, and how often you’re putting it out there. As a reader, this confuses me. When should I expect to see content? Who is this coming from? What are you trying to tell me? You need to set a clear plan of action and stick to it before building your blog.

2) When I’m online, I’m really not in the mood to hear a sales pitch. It’s one thing when I’m watching television and a commercial comes on, but online, I’m looking for a totally different experience. I’m online because I’m interested in actively searching for information that is relevant to me. I would come to your blog and use it as a resource for relevant information, but I’m not interested in seeing an advertisement.

3) Take off your marketer hat and put on your consumer hat. Your consumers are the people you are trying to reach. What interests you as a marketer is different than what interests your consumers. Think about the type of content that would interest your potential readers. Not sure what your consumers would like? Do some research! Take a look at the kind of blog comments you’re getting, ask questions, and listen closely to the answers. Take a look at what your fans and followers are saying on Facebook and Twitter. Find out what your consumers need and see if you can provide value.

4) No offense, but your content is boring. I don’t care if it’s grammatically correct or intellectually stimulating. I’m reading your blog with the expectation that I’m going to hear from a person with real opinions and emotions. In addition, as an internet-savvy consumer, content is being thrown at me every day. In order for your posts to stand out among the pack, I need something that will draw me in. The title of your blog post should be clear and concise, but also make me stop and think.

5) Um… how am I supposed to know you even have a blog? Building your readership takes work. One way to jump-start your readership is to share your new posts to your existing networks: Engage your current Facebook fans, Twitter followers, Pinterest followers, e-mail subscribers, etc. In addition, you want to make sure that once your consumers start reading your posts, the content you’re providing is as shareable as possible. Include tweet buttons, Facebook share and Like buttons, “Pin It” buttons, +1 buttons, etc. The only way your blog is going to be successful is if your content is easily shareable.

What blogging don’ts have you witnessed? How can businesses make their blogs better?

7 Reasons Quinn Should Die on #Glee

2012-03-25T21:12:00.001-04:00

So I thought I could go 6 weeks without talking about Glee. Apparently, I was wrong. I just re-watched the latest episode, On My Way. In case you haven't already heard, Quinn gets into a car accident at the end of the episode and we don't yet know if she survives (Although I actually do know what happens because I got impatient and read spoilers). That being said, I have a pretty strong opinion about what should happen, if things went my way: I really really think Quinn should die. Here's why:

1) The original cast is graduating anyway and chances are, most of them aren't sticking around next season. This is the perfect way to get rid of her. It would make for a great storyline and the writers could easily segue into how this affects the other cast members (especially in terms of who will be around next season and who won't).

2) Speaking of storyline, Glee has never really focused on death. This past episode was the closest to the subject and it was the best episode we've seen in a long time. This is a storyline that would affect every single person at McKinley. There is so much opportunity here.

3) Let's face it: Quinn's a bitch. I'm not saying that because I think she deserves to die, I don't. Santana is also a bitch and I can't get enough of her. Problem is, Santana is a BETTER bitch. There's only room for one.

4) There's already a character in a wheelchair. If Quinn survives, that's potentially ANOTHER character in a wheelchair. I think one is enough. Again: we need NEW storylines!

5) Killing Quinn sends a stronger message. The girl has everything going for her: She's going to Yale, she's gorgeous, she has lots of friends, she's a cheerleader, and the list goes on. Yes, it would suck if she were paralyzed... but if she died, don't you think people would think twice about texting and driving?

6) They've already saved one character -- Karaofsky didn't die. Doesn't it seem strange that yet ANOTHER character survives? Keeping her alive sends the message that the writers don't know how to write to this.

7) Did you see that car crash? There's no way ANYONE would have survived that if it were real. For once, Glee should try to write storylines that are true to life.

What do you think? Should Quinn live or die?

4 Important Tips About Facebook Timeline for Brands

2012-03-21T22:39:00.000-04:00

Originally posted on Socialnomics

The long-awaited Facebook Timeline for brands is finally here and some of Facebook’s biggest kept secrets are out of the bag! This sudden overhaul of our favorite social network has left many brands in a frenzy: How can we leverage this new format? What should we put in our cover photo? What is “pinning?” Luckily, Facebook gave us a month to preview our pages, test them out, and figure out how we can utilize this most effectively and make sure that we are featuring our brands in the best light possible. Here’s what we’ve found so far:

1) Cover Photos should be visually compelling, but simple. Since profile pictures are now a lot smaller than they used to be, it is especially important that your cover photo resonates with your fans and you use this new space to effectively communicate your brand message. If your cover photo is too cluttered, you are giving off the impression that your brand is disorganized. Fans connect best when the brand’s message is clear and concise.

2) Although cover photos allow for more customization, Facebook’s guidelines for branded cover photos prohibit brands from featuring contact information, prices, or calls to action in this section of the page. If you can’t feature this information in your cover photo, how are you supposed to promote your brand’s initiatives? Pin your posts! Facebook now allows brands to “pin” posts to the top of the page so it’s the first piece of content fans see when they land on the page. Once you pin a post, it will remain pinned for 7 days. If you have a sale, contest, or other initiative occurring, post a status update about it and pin your post!

3) One of the best features of Facebook Timeline is its increased connection to storytelling. Using the new “milestones” feature, brands can feature important moments and events in the brands’ history. Just as we ask our fans to tell their stories, now brands can tell theirs! Setting up milestones on your brand’s Facebook page provides fans with background information and allows them to connect with the brand on a more personal level. This can be especially beneficial for fast-growing, family-owned businesses who have relevant, relatable stories to tell. This feature makes storytelling for brands easier than it ever was before!

4) We’ve been able to see the “People Talking About This” metric for quite some time now. However, the “Likes” app provides fans with a graph that displays how this number has fluctuated over the last month. Now, fans can see if the number of people creating a story (liking the page, commenting on a post, liking a post, tagging pictures, etc.) about your brand has increased or decreased over time. What does this mean? It’s becoming increasingly important to engage your fans! In order to keep this number up, brands need to make sure that their content is engaging and they are actively acquiring new likes to the page (which means lots of consistent advertising!).

Now that we’ve had some time to play around with the new Facebook Timeline for brands… what have you learned?

Adorable Little Girl Sings Adele!

2012-03-20T22:41:00.000-04:00

I want to eat this girl up. She is so cute... especially when she gets to the chorus and scrunches her face. She feels it. This is why I need little people in my life.

Thanks for sharing this with me, Sara!

4 Fashion Trends I Don't Understand

2012-03-04T09:00:00.003-05:00

I am not particularly fashion-savvy by any means. Sure, I love shopping and I love clothes, but I'm certainly not the most fashion-forward person. That being said, as an average 20-something who reads blogs and magazines and has a good head on her shoulders, I feel that I have the right to pass judgement on fashion trends that I see on a regular basis (whether or not I ACTUALLY have the right is irrelevant... this is MY blog). The following does not make sense to me:

Urban Outfitters

$105

I'm not going to lie: I sometimes shop at Urban Outfitters. In fact, I once bought a sweater there as part of my Halloween costume that I still wear today. Once in a while, Urban has great finds. However, the store is ridiculously overpriced and the quality is pretty average. The worst part is that even if you find a piece where the quality matches the price, the stuff LOOKS cheap. Regardless of the actual quality, why would you spend a ton of money on something that looks like it cost you nothing? To top to off, their stores look like warehouses.

Rompers

Let's face it: Rompers are weird. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to a store and picked up what I thought was a dress only to go to the fitting room and find out that it wasn't. Rompers are a weak attempt at making adult onesies fashionable. Why not just wear a dress? Or shorts and a shirt?

Almost Anything Worn By Mary-Kate Olsen

It kills me that Mary-Kate is a fashion designer. The things she wears are absolutely ridiculous. Everything is oversized, the patterns are odd, and she basically looks like a hobo. And in the picture above... is that a sweatband?! On the red carpet?! Come on, now.

Crocs

I used to work as a Sales Associate in the Kids' Shoes department at Nordstrom. Moms used to come in every day and ask if their children could try on crocs. I never understood why. They offer no support, are basically made out of foam, and fall off of your feet. I can't tell you how many kids I've seen fall out of their crocs during my 6 months at Nordstrom. Funny? Yes. Functional? Not so much. For the same price, you could get a perfectly decent pair of sandals, flip flops, or water shoes. To top it off, Crocs are ugly! And adults wearing Crocs? Please stop like, yesterday.

Can you think of any fashion trends I should add to this list?

5 Social Media Lessons For Our Favorite Couples

2012-03-03T22:01:00.000-05:00

Originally posted on Likeable

On this blog, we are always talking about social media best practices and how we can build relationships with our consumers that are valuable and long-lasting. Since today is Valentine’s Day, I started thinking about some of my favorite (and not-so-favorite) couples. I came to the realization that many of the social media best practices we preach every day can also apply to real romantic relationships: In the end, it’s all about building and maintaining strong relationships, whether it’s with a consumer or significant other. Here, I’ve put together some social media lessons that could have benefited some of our favorite couples:

A Lesson for Noah and Allie

The Notebook is a love story between two people who are very different from one another. The one thing Noah and Allie never lacked is authenticity. They were never afraid to be themselves around one another: in fact, it’s this authenticity that made them so great together. Allie learned the importance of authenticity when she split from Noah and began dating Lon. Although Lon seemed perfect for her on paper, Allie was never truly herself around Lon. When Allie was with Noah, she used painting as a way to express her personality. When she started dating Lon, she stopped painting. It’s no wonder Allie went crawling back to Noah in the end. Like any good relationship, it’s important for brands to practice authenticity and transparency when interacting with consumers. The only way to build lasting relationships is to be honest with your audience about who you are. Without authenticity, the connection with your consumers won’t be as strong and may result in your consumers taking their business elsewhere.

Lessons for Ross and Rachel

For those of you who haven’t heard about the Ross/Rachel “We were on a break” fiasco, this relationship has definitely had its ups and downs. During season 3 of Friends, Ross and Rachel were dating when Rachel got a new job. The job became very demanding and required a lot of Rachel’s time. This upset Ross because he was “tired of having a relationship with her answering machine.” Rachel said they should take a break, which Ross interpreted as a “break up.” Being sad and newly single, he hooked up with someone else later that night. Despite always loving one another, Ross and Rachel didn’t get back together until season 10.

Let’s start with Rachel: If you’re going to be in a committed relationship, you need to put in the time. Relationships require a great deal of effort. Ross probably felt neglected and hurt when Rachel put her job before him. Brands need to realize that social media is not just something to do in your spare time: its an investment and something that requires a great deal of effort. Put the time into building real relationships with your consumers and show them that they are a priority. Ross and Rachel ended up together 7 years later, but as a business, you can’t afford to wait 7 years to see results.

Although it’s easy to blame Rachel, Ross is also largely to blame. He may have thought they were broken up, but hooking up with someone else just a few hours after Rachel decided she wanted a “break” was a poor decision. In fact, at one point in season 4, Ross and Rachel almost got back together. Rachel wrote Ross an 18-page letter (front and back!) explaining how she feels and asked Ross to take responsibility for everything that went wrong in their previous relationship. Ross’ reaction: “We were on a break!” If Ross had just apologized and taken responsibility at this moment, the couple could’ve gotten back together much sooner than they did. Brands need to be able to apologize when they do something wrong. Nobody’s perfect. It’s okay to make mistakes as long as you take some responsibility – you’d be surprised at how forgiving your customers can be.

A Lesson for Carrie and Big

Like Ross and Rachel, Carrie and Mr. Big had a roller coaster of a relationship on Sex and the City. The main reason I dislike Big is because of the mind games he played on Carrie: he always seemed to want her when she was unavailable (e.g. he pursued her when she was dating Aidan) and was never able to commit to her when she was available (he didn’t even show up to their wedding). This shows a complete lack of disrespect for Carrie. In a relationship, it is important to show one another that you care and each person should make the other a priority. Brands: you wouldn’t be where you are today without your consumers. Show them how much you appreciate them. Thank them for engaging with you and share their stories (and you know, a little surprise and delight never hurt anyone). If you show your fans a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T, they’ll be sure to reciprocate.

A Lesson for Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries

Kim and Kris had a fairytale wedding. To the untrained eye, it seemed that this marriage would last a lifetime. If you watched Kourtney and Kim Take New York this season, you’d realize that Kim and Kris never really made any long term plans. After they had already tied the knot, the couple were still arguing about where they were going to live and how many kids they would have and when. If you’re going to make a relationship work, you need to think long term. If Kim and Kris set long term goals for their relationship before they got married, their relationship may have lasted more than 72 days. Either that, or they would have realized that they weren’t a match and never would have gotten married in the first place. It’s important for brands to set a social media strategy with long term goals. If you begin executing your strategy and you see that you are not not receiving the anticipated results, it’s time to re-strategize! As social media professionals, we often get bogged down in our day-to-day execution and lose site of the big picture: the real reason why we invest in social media. Kim and Kris: if you were going to make this kind of commitment, you should have had a long-term plan!

What other social media lessons can you think of? Who do you think could benefit from these lessons?

Dear Ryan Murphy: WTF Are You Thinking?!

2012-02-08T22:50:00.004-05:00

Dear Ryan Murphy,

If you've been keeping up with my blog (I know you haven't, but hear me out for a sec), you'd have noticed a serious transformation. I started out as the anti-gleek: I appreciated the effort, but your characters really didn't resonate with me. Then a little thing called The Glee Project happened, I basically fell in love with Damian McGinty (and met him!), and before you knew it, I was leaving work earlier than usual just to make sure I'd make it back in time for Glee. Suddenly, those little things about the show that used to bother me didn't matter so much anymore.

I'm sorry Ryan, but I'm starting to remember why I didn't like Glee in the first place. Yes, I'm still watching, but I'm becoming more and more disappointed. Here's why:

As a MAJOR Damian fan, I need to finally be honest: I don't like what you're doing with his character. He's been on the show for weeks now and I still know almost nothing about him. Why did he come to the US? Why didn't Brittany's family take him on vacation? Why don't him and Brittany ever talk? What happened to the Rory/Finn and Rory/Sam bromances? How has he been adjusting to life in America? What's his personality like? All I know is he's an Irish, homesick virgin who has a brother named Seamus and no girlfriend. When Damian performed in Celtic Thunder, his stage presence was undeniable: his performances were captivating and all you wanted to do was be his friend. To be honest, I don't think I'd care either way if I was Rory's friend. You should probably give him a chance to shine once in a while. If Rory is anything like Damian (which to be honest, I haven't seen so far), people will love him in no time. But honestly, Rory is nowhere near as lovable as Damian is... and I blame you. Oh, and the costume/hair people.. come on, that's not him!

Okay, Ryan, please tell me: Where the eff is Sam living right now? At Rachel's? At Finn's/Kurt's? I don't think anyone has any clue. He must be living SOMEWHERE, because no one calls him homeless anymore. Why can't you answer the most basic questions?

Why is Sugar in the Glee club? Didn't she suck last time she auditioned? Okay, okay... the New Directions is all about accepting people and all of their flaws, but I thought she couldn't sing?! If she can't sing, why'd she have a solo in Summer Nights?

Rory, Sebastian, Coach Roz, Harmony, Shane, and more... enough! Develop the characters you already have before you add more.

Coach Beiste and Cooter got married a few episodes ago... and then we never heard anything else about it. WTF. Totally unnecessary.

Remember when Blaine and Kurt and Rachel and Finn had sex? Yeah, I barely remember it. Nothing happened after that. You literally just threw sex in there to get ratings.

You finally produced the long-awaited Michael Jackson tribute episode and you didn't do Thriller?! Really?! WTF happened in that episode anyway? Nothing really.

Sue Sylvester wants to have Mr. Shue's baby? Last I checked, she wanted him gone.

Rachel's mother (and Quinn's baby's adopted mother) slept with Puck. Understandably, Quinn flipped a shit. But why didn't Rachel? Isn't that like super weird? Why was Rachel the voice of reason? EFFIN WEIRD.

Quinn got into Yale? Since when does she even go to class?

Umm... what happened to Lauren Zises?

Overall, I think the writing needs some work, along with the character and overall plot development. That being said, I think most of the music is spot on. Also, Santana is freaking awesome. If there's one character that keeps me constantly entertained, it's Santana. Santana's character is perfect for Naya. But please work on these other issues. I'm okay with baby steps: Let's start with featuring Damian more and developing his character. We'll see where we are from there.

Ryan, I think you're smart, but you've lost your way. I'm here to help you get back on track. Please understand.

Sincerely,

Amy

EDIT: My intern Ricky just sent me this and I think it explains EXACTLY how I feel (minus the Irish kid not knowing his lines part... Do not insult my Damian).

Case Study: AcneFree Sampling Goes Viral!

2012-02-08T21:41:00.000-05:00

Originally posted on Likeable

As social media professionals, we can go on and on about why we love social media: it’s a great customer service tool and a highly effective way to reach a specific audience, among other things. Above all, social media works because it plays a key role in enabling the virality of messages: I tell 3 of my friends how much I like a product, they each tell 3 of their friends, who tell 3 of their friends, and so on. Before you know it, the message is reaching tens of thousands of people all over the world. If that’s not power, I don’t know what is.

If anyone knows about the virality of social media, it’s Likeable client University Medical. University Medical and the Likeable Media team worked together to develop a strategy around the AcneFree product line Facebook page launch. The plan was to build an AcneFree community and raise awareness of the brand by offering free samples of the new AcneFreeTherapeutic Sulfur Mask and making the deal as shareable as possible in an effort to promote organic growth for the fan page. The AcneFree fan-gated welcome tab featured a form for fans to fill out as well as a share and tweet button on the offer. The hope was that with a November 15th launch date, the page would gain 30,000 likes by March 2012.

Well, if you haven’t already figured it out, they’ve already far surpassed this goal. By November 30th (just 15 days after the page launched), the AcneFree page had 41,000 fans with only $1,100 spent on advertising. The deal was shared on Facebook over 500 times and tweeted over 1,000 times. The most remarkable aspect of this campaign is that for 1 week, AcneFree’s “Talking About This” metric was not only higher than any other brand in their industry, but higher than the brand’s overall page likes!

The AcneFree page now has over 84,000 likes, almost 3 times as many likes as the company planned to have by March. And that my friends, is why we love social media.

See the SlideShare presentation below for the highlights of this campaign and visit the AcneFree page to receive your free sample!

AcneFree Case Study

View more presentations from Likeable Media.

Why do you think this campaign went viral? How has social media helped brands increase the virality of their messages?

http://CMP.LY/4/rxmWC7

Top 5 Awesome Aussies!

2012-01-26T22:09:00.002-05:00

Happy Australia Day! For those of you who don't know me too well, I have a weird obsession with everything Australia. The climate is beautiful, the animals are interesting, and the accents are swoonworthy. I was planning to study abroad in Sydney during my Junior year at UAlbany, but for a few different reasons, it didn't work out. Despite never having been there myself, I have such an appreciation for all things Australia. It's time to pay tribute to some of my favorite Australians!

Heath Ledger: We fell in love with him after seeing 10 Things I Hate About You but after A Knight's Tale, The Patriot, and Brokeback Mountain were released we were head over heels. Then his performance in The Dark Knight showcased his incredible talent and left us all with goosebumps. I hard a hard time dealing with Heath's passing in 2008... to be honest, I still don't think I'm over it.

Jesse Spencer: Mmmmmm... Dr. Chase! Attractive, Australian, AND a (fake) doctor?! He's one of the main reasons I watch House.. besides the whole "I killed a patient" thing, he's such a likeable character (and pretty, too!). Fun Fact about Jesse: He played Lord James Browning Jr. in the Mary-Kate and Ashley movie, Winning London. He's especially awesome because he plays a singer in Uptown Girls. Listen below!

Download this mp3 from Beemp3.com

Nicole Kidman: Okay, she's a fake Australian.. she was born in Hawaii... but I'm still going to count it! From Moulin Rouge to Eyes Wide Shut (which was totally weird) to Bewitched, Nicole has proved that she's a totally versatile actress. Besides being totally jealous of how gorgeous she is, I think she's a rockin' Aussie.

Hugh Jackman: Hugh. Effin. Jackman. Like Nicole, Hugh Jackman has shown his versatility by acting in a wide variety of movies, including Kate & Leopold, Van Helsing, and of course, Australia (with Nicole!). However, his most memorable role for me has to be Wolverine in all of the X-Men movies. Sigh.

Ryan Kwanten: You all know him as Jason Stackhouse on True Blood. I know him as Jay on Summerland, that old WB show with Jesse McCartney (I know, I'm lame). I never understood why Jesse's character hooked up with Jay's girlfriend, because Jesse McCartney sucks. Ryan Kwanten is awesome. The end.

Leave a comment with some more awesome Aussies!

Little Things That Make Me Smile: @DamianMcGinty & @CamronMitchell Sing @TheScript

2012-01-23T22:53:00.001-05:00

Okay, I know I have a problem with my Damian McGinty obsession, but you can't tell me this isn't the best video EVER. I love his bromance with Cameron. It's the little things that make me smile.

What Grinds My Gears: Follow the Subway Rules, Dammit!

2012-01-18T23:31:00.002-05:00

I find that the longer I live in New York, the less patience I have. I just want to get where I have to go without the hassle of crowds, delays, or traffic. I'm not saying it's justified or that I have any right to feel this way, but it is what it is (and I know you other New Yorkers agree).

I don't know about you, but I take the subway because it's supposed to the cheapest and fastest way to get from point A to point B. That being said, I often wonder whether it's worth the extra hassle. As most of us New Yorkers know, there are certain unofficial rules we follow when we ride the train in order to make the ride as hassle-free and efficient as possible. I know they're not written down or even talked about very much, but please... I don't think you're that dense. Am I giving you too much credit?

If you're guilty of any of the following, consider this a wake up call -- you officially need to pay more attention to your surroundings:

DO NOT get on the subway before others have gotten off. It's just common courtesy. I know the subway tunnels are dirty and infested with rats. I know that the 6 minutes you have to wait for the subway are probably the longest 6 minutes of your day. But think about it this way: the people getting off the subway not only had to wait those same 6 minutes, but they've also been stuck on a subway with people like you who don't follow the rules listed below. As much as you want to get on the subway, I'm willing to bet they want to get OFF the subway even more. Plus, it helps the flow of traffic.
If there are 3 seats to my left, please DO NOT sit right next to me. Picture this: It's 9:30am. I just woke up. I haven't had my coffee yet. I'm barely functioning and I'm in a bad mood because I just endured the dreaded "6-minute wait." Maybe having you sit RIGHT next to me isn't exactly what I'd prefer at this time. If there are no other seats: fine. I'm a reasonable person and I can accept that. But hey, there are 3 others seats to my left. Please just give me a little space. That's all I want.
If there is room on the subway, DO NOT stand right over me. This is actually worse than sitting right next to me. If you can avoid hovering over me, please do so.
If there is a tight space between two people sitting on the subway, DO NOT sit there. Sometimes the passengers are bigger than the subway seats. I realize that there may be an open seat, but if there's no room, don't sit there. If you don't fit, you don't fit. Just wait until someone else gets up.
If you have a lot of "stuff," DO NOT take the subway! You're going away for the weekend and you have a small suitcase: fine. But really... you're bringing your bike on the subway?! Not only does that defeat the purpose of your bike, but it takes up valuable subway space. Same goes for big purchases, furniture, anything that takes two people to carry, etc. It's not like you do this every day... I think you can splurge on a cab just this once. Plus, I bet you have a really hard time getting through the turnstiles. I also bet it's really funny to watch.
Phew, I finally made it to the subway stop. I can't wait to get out of this hole in the ground, breathe the fresh air (or, you know, whatever you'd call the NYC air), and arrive at my destination. I start climbing up the stairs and... oh wait, I have to stop. Why? Because you're on your phone. DO NOT stop walking on the middle of the stairway. It's crowded enough and all I want to do is get outside. You can wait until you get outside to answer your phone.

What are some other unofficial subway rules you see people break all the time?

What grinds your gears?