Preparing for the "Real World"

As a soon-to-be graduating senior, I just wanted to share what I’m doing to help prepare myself for life after college and hope that you will gain something from reading. My main focus currently is to graduate from San Diego State University and get hired on board with an innovative digital marketing company as a Social Media Strategiest. I want to finally step out of the college era and step into the “real world” era. As much as I love learning; studying and taking multiple choice exams can get old, real quick. If school was just all about taking on internships and working, I would graduate summa cum lade - no doubt. But unfortunately this isn’t how it works. Here is what I'm doing to prepare myself for the "real world":

I didn’t wait for opportunities to come my way, I went searching for them. Two of the best decisions I’ve made was joining SDSU’s Advertising Club and Ad 2 San Diego. I was so nervous about joining a club and meeting new people by myself, but I am happy I stepped outside my comfort zone. From these two clubs, I’ve made new friends, networked with great people and that made finding an internship much easier. I’ve come to realize that stepping out of your comfort zone is the best way to make your dream come true. Go out there and get as involved as you can, step outside your comfort box and have fun!

I took on multiple internships that were not paid, and I did it with pride. Experience is priceless, remember that. You need to have the right attitude to play in this game. If you are truly passionate about what you plan on doing after college, you will be willing to for the experience in a heartbeat. Haven’t you ever had anyone tell you? “Do what you love, and the money will follow.”

I created  my own website and business cards to market myself. This demonstrates that I am digitally savvy and know how to use technology to market myself. If I can’t market myself, how would I expect to market clients for my future employers?

I started this blog to demonstrate my passion for marketing. At first my blog was just going to be about my life, just for fun. But then as I began reading more articles about social media, I wanted to start taking notes of things I thought were interesting and helpful. Instead of taking notes on paper, I decided use my blog as a place to share those notes. Things I learn about social media that intrigue me, I include in my blog to share wealth with my peers.

I created a vision board. In order to stay focused on my dreams and goals, I bought a small cork-board where I put up things that would motivate me. I placed this cork-board on a wall that I would see every day as I got up to get ready and so far it’s been doing its job.

(From top left to bottom right: Business card with 'Senior Social Media Strategiest' as my title, '$100,000 bill', SDSU Cap/gown, photo of Eiffel Tower, very happy photo of me, photo of the Magic Fountain of Montjuic.)

The business card represents the position I will, one day, hold. The $100,000 bill represents the income I inspire to make. The photo of the cap and gown is my motivation for working hard towards graduation. The photos of the Eiffel Tower and Magic Fountain are the two places I would love to visit again in the near future, and the happy photo of myself reminds me to smile and appreciate life.

I believe that everything you have in your life, you have attracted. If it’s your dream job you want, then you’ve got to attract it by working hard and staying focused. I trust I’ve inspired you to go out there and knock down opportunity doors. Just do it! I dare you. ;) and I leave you with a quote that inspires me.

 “Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door.” ~Kyle Chandler

You can also find this post on www.marketingmelodie.com

Interview tips I've learned along the way

As I’m getting ready to graduate in August, I’ve come to realize that there is one thing I should be working on, and that’s how to make a great first impression.  I’ll be interviewing for jobs soon and during an interview, the first impression is everything. You’ve got to make that first impression last. As I'm preparing to graduate I've already been to a few interviews and have learned so much. Here are a few tips for the recent grad or anyone in the job market!

Go to the interview dressed professionally- That means business attire! I always wear a pencil skirt or slacks with a collared shirt and a blazer. If I was a guy, I would wear slacks with a long sleeve collared shirt and a tie. It's always better to be over dressed, than under dressed in the case of an interview.

During the interview- Take a deep breath and speak at the pace that the interviewer is speaking at. You want to be on the same page with them, so don’t speak too fast, but don’t speak too slow either. Speaking too fast is easy to do when you're nervous. The best thing you can do is to be aware of this which will help you slow down. If you think you're talking too fast, you probably are!

Sell yourself- A Job interview is the time and place to sell! Answer your question in a way that always tie back into how you can benefit the company. Remember: “features tell and benefits sell.” Also, make sure to do a ton of research on the company before the interview process. You don’t want to be stuck when they ask you, “So tell me what you know about our company.”

Don’t be nervous!- I know it is easier said than done. You may believe that the company is interviewing you and that you need an unforgettable answer to every question, but take a look around and realize that you’re also interviewing the company. You want to make sure that this is truly a company you will be happy working for.

Any questions?- Always ask questions at the end of the interview. When you don’t have any questions, it gets interpreted as, “she doesn’t have much interest in the company.” This may not be the best time to start asking about benefits and salary. However, do ask about what they are looking for from the position they are seeking to hire and if opportunities of moving up within the company is feasible. It's a good idea to go in to the interview with 2 or 3 questions to ask so you're prepared with they ask "Do you have any questions?". If questions come up during the interview, don't be afraid to ask, especially if it's a clarifying question.

Last but not least, keep in mind:

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door"

You can also find this post on www.marketingmelodie.com

Klout Perks

We all influence one another, the question is, how much of an influence are we? In 2008, a social media analytic website called Klout was founded to help us measure our level of influence on our audience. Klout gives each individual a score from 1 to 100, based on the individual’s ability to drive action through their social networks. Actions are considered as how many mentions and retweets you receive on Twitter; comments, wall-posts and likes on Facebook and so on for all the other social media networks that you are able to link Klout to. Klout also gives you an idea of the topics you are influential on, and if the people in your network agree with Klout, they can give you a +K.

Just recently, I discovered Klout Perks. By having a Klout account you are eligible for Klout Perks, but certain perks are targeted to specific users based on their score, influential topics, location and more. The perks consist of free or discounted products and/or services. From analyzing all the Klout Perks that have been offered, I've come up with three reasons companies may benefit from offering Klout Perks:

1. It’s great brand exposure.
As individuals are browsing through all the perks because their curiosity got the best of them, and whether or not they qualify for the perk, they are still being exposed to your brand. The best part is, your brand is getting a ton of impressions, but you don’t have to pay the CPI price!

2. It’s a viral opportunity for your business.
Some of the most influential individuals will be redeeming one of your sponsored packages. These individuals are the ones that are highly active in their social networks and will be telling their fans about the fun perks they’ve received through Klout, which means they will be talking about your brand!

3. You can use Klout to measure your outreach success!
Klout gives you a lot of insight in the digital world. See who you influence the most, whether it may be a competitor or a loyal fan. You can also see the topics you are influential on, and how your influence compares to your competitors.

Here is an example of how successful Popchip's campaign went:

Popchips' campaign was targeted towards healthy trendsetters. They offered a popchips sample kit, hoping that this would be shared and passed along to friends and family. Only 300 influencers were able to claim the perk but there was 14,819 tweets about the perk along with 46.7 million impressions of the perk.

Are you interested in getting your business involved with Klout? All you've got to do is contact Klout here!

Case Study: Volkswagen Punch Dub Campaign

In 2010, Volkswagen collaborated with Duetsh LA to create the 'Punch Dub' campaign. The campaign consisted of many YouTube videos,  a Super Bowl commercial and a game called 'Punch Dub' where every time you saw a Volkswagen, you called out the color of the car and punched the person next to you. This game was a remake of the original game 'Punch Bug' and was created to develop more awareness of Volkswagen and its 13 different models. I found this campaign to be one of the best that I have ever seen because not only did sales go up 40% that year, but people will selectively look out for Volkswagen cars to play the game, and Volkswagen found a way to integrate themselves into the culture as everyone continues to play 'Punch Dub.' 

Sluggy Patterson is a fictitious character that was made up to explain 'Punch Dub' and what rules pertained to the game. As Volkswagen attempted to create viral videos for the 'Punch Dub' campaign through YouTube, the most views one of their videos received was a little over 600, which is not very many. However, the videos are pretty funny and these are my two favorite videos of Sluggy Patterson:

What are your thoughts on the Volkswagen Punch Dub campaign?

All About Foursquare

Foursquare is a location-based social network used mostly on mobile devices. You use your smart phone to check-in at the venue you’re currently at. Foursquare check-ins can earn you a new badge, points (that I still don’t know what they’re good for) and some businesses offer special deals when you check-in at their venues. With Foursquare, you can simultaneously post your check-in on Facebook and Twitter, something that checking in just on Facebook doesn’t allow. Facebook check-ins only offer a new status update to show your friends where you’re at. 

   

 As a business, you wouldn’t necessarily create a Foursquare account to be part of the fun. You would claim your business instead. Once the business is claimed, business owners are able to add specials to help bring in more traffic to the business location. One thing that businesses should keep in mind is that when a special is created, employees should be aware of the special. This would help avoid confusion when a customer comes in and shows them the unlocked special. It makes the experience less frustrating for the consumer.

 I found this Foursquare comedy skit on YouTube, and I thought it was funny so I wanted to share. Also, I drive a Toyota Camry and I noticed that the car the guys are driving is a Camry! Enjoy. :)

You can also find this blog on http://www.marketingmelodie.com/

Pinning Is Winning!

By now, most of us have heard about Pinterest, the new social media network. Pinterest is a virtual pin board that allows you to pin, repin, like and comment on pictures and videos that your friends or others upload on the site. I know this doesn’t sound very fun, but trust me, it gets addicting. When you go on the website, you are bound to find pictures or videos of things that interest you. Consequently, you are then tempted to pin it to your board so that you may save it for later or just share with your friends. The content that you pin will always lead back to the source it came from, whether it is a blog, a retail site, etc.

Pinterest is also fascinating because you can’t just sign up for an account, you must be invited. You can sign up to wait for an invite or you can find a Pinner that will personally send you an invitation. Yeah, it’s like VIP status.  No worries though, just give me a tweet or a message on Google+ and I’ll invite you. ;)

www.pinterest.com/stephanietrinh

But wait, there’s more. As a company, having a Pinterest account may be a good investment, think about it.

1. You’ll get discovered.
People go on Pinterest to find things, whether it’s a new book to read, a new recipe to bake or inspiration for the room they want to redesign. Content gets shared very quickly on Pinterest and that’s a great thing.

2. You keep your customers updated.
Like Twitter, Pinners are able to choose who they want to follow. As you keep your board updated with new pins, your followers are able to stay up to date and can repin the things they love.

3. You let your consumers know the different sides of you.
With the option of having multiple boards, you’re able to show your followers what your personality is like. You can make a boards with content that represent you. One board can have quotes and sayings, another board with your favorite products and a different board with pictures of things that stand for the lifestyle you represent. Yoplait Yogurt is a great example of one of the companies on Pinterest:

www.pinterest.com/yoplait

Remember: Pinning is winning! :)


You can also find this blog on http://www.marketingmelodie.com/

Mamma Chia

As this semester flew by, one of the presentations due for my direct marketing course was to create viral marketing on Facebook and Twitter for an emerging company called Mamma Chia. Mamma Chia is a chia vitality beverage that is "fun for your mouth and great for your body!"  I love this product, it tastes great and the benefits of chia seeds are really amazing. Thank goodness I was assigned a product that I truly am passionate about, it made things a lot easier.

One of the main focus of the project was to make Mamma Chia's Twitter timeline more interesting. I came up with a Twitter contest for Mamma Chia to promote hashtag #mammapicCHIA. Contestants were to tweet at @mammachia1 their creative photos of their Mamma Chia drinks along with a creative title, hashtag #mammapicCHIA and they must be following Mamma Chia in order to be entered for a chance to win an iPad2. This would help Mamma Chia's timeline stay interesting as they retweet their favorite entries and if followers wanted to see the rest of the entries, they can just search the hashtag. Loyal consumers of this product already tweet pictures of their Mamma Chia beverage on Twitter constantly, therefore, I thought it would be a great idea to keep them engaged and have a chance to win something that they would really want.

Here are some examples of the "pic-chias" :)

 

^ This is mine!

I also mentioned that Mamma Chia should start using Klout. Klout is a website that provides free social media analytics on how users influence their audience. For a company, this is important because the whole point of having social media is to influence consumers to buy your product or become aware of your brand. Not to mention, it's also a great tool for spying at competitors, keeping track of how they are doing with their influence towards their audience.

I am so proud of the video my group members and I recorded for this project; we worked so hard and did so well, I wanted to share! :)